


Primal Reversion

by Musica Loraine Journey (MaureenJo)



Series: Primal Reversion Series [2]
Category: Zootopia (2016), judy hopps - Fandom, nick wilde - Fandom, wildehopps - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-06-03 05:12:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6598117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaureenJo/pseuds/Musica%20Loraine%20Journey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>completed<br/>it's good i think but i'm biased</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The muzzle, Cookies, and a leap of faith

**Author's Note:**

> No copywrite infringement was intended when i created this story. i have only taken the characters out to play and i promise to return them when i'm finished.  
> I watched Zootopia, then played Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, then watched the episode from NCIS where Tony and Ziva are stuck in the elevator... I have no excuse. Songs included in this fanfic are: All Of Me By John Legend, Like i'm gonna Lose You By Megan Trainer, Calling All Angels by Jane Siberry, Not Alone by Patty Griffin, The Book of Love By Peter Gabriel, and many more. if it is directly cited, i will give the title, the artist's zootopified name and animal. if i ever use a micheal buble song, i am making him a hippo named micheal bubble :D it's only right.  
> Also I work at Burger King store 9012. I have an open schedual, and i am basically an on-call staff member. I can open one morning then be called in at a moments notice to close the same day, and still be to work to open the next morning. i carry my little notebook with me everywhere for whenever i get an opertunity to continue the plot along, that's why i write things out first so i know where the story is going before i type it out and submit it to you gorgeous readers i know i should put each chapters AN in the chapter, but that is a little messy in my stories and i can never word them properly. so thats why the chapters are just chapters and the authors notes are all at the begining or end. I have a wish for this story, my wish is that this story inspires someone to not be afraid. where ever your heart goes, whatever you are passionate about, whatever you truly love and cant get enough of, never feel guilty for putting your heart where it feels it belongs.  
> Please Read/Review/Follow/Favorite as your beautiful hearts desire.

Judy looked into his wide eyes as he pinned her tiny form in the corner of the elevator. His arms and legs blocked any exit she may have otherwise had. "Listen to me judy, and dont forget this," Nick said gasping " I dont ever want to hurt you" He pulled out the standard issue muzzle and handed it to her. "I trust you to put this on me," he took in a deep breath "whatever is going on i won't be of any help to you." He winced then he grabbed the bars on the elevator tighter. "Judy, Do it. Now!" He said sternly through gritted teeth. suddenly his eyes changed and Judy quickly put the muzzle on him and found an escape as he lashed out with his claws. Judy cuffed him to the bar of the elevator and went to the oposite corner of the spacious compartment. she watched from her corner as he lunged and clawed at her, being so close but not quite reaching her. he growled and barked at her through the muzzle as she brought her knees up under her chin. she was curled up in her corner staring in horror as the fox she loved became more savage as the moments passed.  
"Oh Nick, what do i do now?" she asked going over the events in her mind. he had pinned her in the corner for safety which had initially worked. they fell 10 floors then stopped abruptly. then Nick flinched like something hit him in the neck. that was it! judy temporarily forgot her situation and took a hop forward. "Nick! I figured out whats wrong with you!" his left claws went across her right cheek. Judy instictively covered her wound.  
It was as if time had stopped when Nick realized what he had done. he whimpered and curled into his corner of the elevator. His eyes went wide when judy took her paw down and he saw the splash of red on her dark silver fur. he inched forward slowly and got as close as possible and gently nuzzled her paw. the neander-fox's apology caused her heart to melt. she uncuffed him and put the handcuffs away then sat down by him indian style. he curled his body around hers and put his head in her lap. the tip of his tail could touch his nose and make a full circle of red fur around judy's small grey form. she went to take off the muzzle but Nick shook her hand away. she tried again with the same result.  
"Nick you don't need a muzzle, you wont hurt me." she tried again but he still shook her paws away. he put his head back down and closed his eyes. after a while Judy wondered if he was sleeping, then she heard a low rumble and saw Nicks ears twitch. He was hungry. Nick opened one of his beautiful emerald eyes. she realized how fast the time had passed when she heard her own stomach growl. then she remembered she had snacks in her purse. she always packed something because nick got hungry quicker than she did. she looked around the spacious compartment and spied it in the middle of the floor. she pet his head and looked down at him.  
"Nick, Nick i have take your muzzle off, you need to eat." she tried the muzzle again and he shook her paw off and growled at her. "I have food in my purse." she said trying again. he moved from his spot and padded over to where her purse lay and he pulled it back to her lap with him returning to the circle he had been in before. Judy sat there for a moment no sure what to do, when she felt something vibrate. it was her phone. she pulled it out of it's place in her purse and saw she had one text that came in 3 hours ago. she opened it and read  
???: The cameras stopped transmiting, i saw how he looked at you. He will break through those cuffs soon and then what are you going to do? he'll get the muzzle off to then rip through your throat. then he will take you as an offering to his mate. wont that be nice?  
she closed out of the conversation and tried to call Chief Bogo, to no avail. then she looked down at Nick.  
"How about some music?" she asked knowing he wouldnt respond. she turned on her most recent playlist. the first song that came on was one by John Leogend, a leopard from the rainforest district.  
What would i do without your smart mouth? drawing me in and you kicking me out  
Nick had stopped looking like himself. he looked weak and tired. Judy pulled a oreo type pack of cookies that were blueberry. She tried the muzzle one more time and Nick didn't have the energy to struggle so she got the muzzle off and then opened the package of cookies. Judy held one cookie to his nose and smiled as Nick gently nibbled at the small circle. he sniffed at the package and slowly ate all of them. Nick sniffed the wrapper and Judy pulled a pack of carrot cake cookies out of her purse. Nick's excitement grew as he ate the cookies. after he finished half the package he licked his lips and looked at judy. she took out a bottle of juice from her purse and used the empty cookie package as a bowl. after shaking out the cookie crumbs she poured some juice into the makeshift dish and set it on the floor. Nick drank from it generously and then looked up at Judy and nudged it forward. "No thanks," she said. "i'm fine." Nick nudged the muzzle that lay on the floor. "You wont hurt me Nick" Judy said and she got up to streatch. Nick followed her like a puppy without a home. Then she heard a noise. she picked up the rest of the cookies and put them in her purse and did the same with the bottle of juice and her phone that was still playing music. she picked up her purse and turned to see that Nick, even on all four was taller than her. that wasn't right. the night they took down bellweather he was only half her height when he pretended to turn savage. the noise got louder and she saw Nick shake his head. it sounded like a whistle. Judy went over to him slowly and tried to cover his ears but he beared his teeth at her and growled. she shrank back for just a moment.  
"Nick, Nick you have to fight it!" she kept hearing the whistle "Nick" she covered his ears for half a second but was thrown off and hit a wall. her phone fell out of her purse making the music louder again. Nick slowed down and that gave judy and idea. she quickly turned up the music and watched nick settle down and to her relief curl his body back around her. his head in her lap, he took his paws and covered his eyes whimpering.  
"I know Nick, I know." Judy stroked his back gently. they sat there like that for a while and thats when she found the small divice. she carefully removed it and saw nick turn back into himself.  
"Hey carrots," Nick said "what happened?" he rubbed his head and looked up at her.  
"it's complicated" Judy said just glad to have him back. she tried to put the divice in her purse but she dropped it and it landed on her wrist attaching itself to her fur. her eyes grew wide and she looked at nick worriedly.  
"Whats wrong Judy?" Nick asked  
"Nick don't be mad at me," she said trying to get the divice off.  
"Judy, what are you talking about?" Nick asked. he stood slightly and Judy backed away. it hadnt taken her as long to go savage, as she was smaller than Nick. she huddled herself in a corner. he stepped toward her "Judy?" and she bolted to another corner. he heard a buzzing and realized it was Judy's phone. he picked it up and saw that it was Cheif Bogo.  
"Officer Wilde reporting for Officer Hopps sir."  
"Wilde! whats going on?" the chief bellowed through the phone "we recieved a call that you had gone savage and you had mauled Hopps in a broken down elevator!"  
"We are both alive, i have some memory loss and Hopps is acting strange." Nick looked at Judy.  
"Wilde! ~~~~~~~~~ Can you hear~~~~~~~ stay th~~~~i re~~~~ there ~~~~~ be~~~~~~~morni~~~~~" the line went dead and Nick saw the no service messege on the screan and the phone went back to playing music.  
Nick looked at Judy and took in her stance. Judy hopps was cowering in fear from him, Nicolas P Wilde, the fox who loved her to the ends of the earth, the fox who wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her that everything would be alright. she stared at him with those wide amathyst eyes. he looked at the side of her face and saw that there was blood. he reached out toward her and she ran to another corner. then he noticed the blood on his paw. it wasnt deep but still he had hurt her. he sank to the floor and sat there in shock. that meant he went savage. he did some figuring. he had gone to get her for lunch at 11 and it was... he looked at the clock on her phone.... 8 pm. they had obviously not made it to lunch. so then why wasnt there more than a scratch on her face? he heard something crinkle next to him. it was the wrapper from the blueberry cookies and next to it was Judy's purse. from the corner of his eye he saw a patch of her grey fur. he looked up at her and she turned tail and ran back to her corner. then he realized what had happened. She fed him but the dumb bunny didnt eat anything herself. he looked in her purse and found the half pack of carrot cake cookies. he pulled them out and set them down next to him as he saw Judy slowly inch closer to him. he sat indian style with his tail coiled around him forming a little nest. he quickly grabbed Judy by her ribs before she had a chance to run away again. he could have sworn she had gotten smaller. he took a cookie from the pack and held it in his knifelike claws. her nose wriggled and she looked at his long sharp nails and trembled.  
"Lets test a theory Fluff," he held the cookie close to her nose. "I must have still been me lets see if you are still you."  
Judy sat perfectly still except for her twitchy nose, then she slowly took the cookie into her mouth. Nick wondered if he should let go then he felt her tug on the cookie. he smirked at this. Judy loved to play tug of war.  
"Okay we can play but only after you eat" Nick said letting go of the cookie. Judy nibbled it happily then sniffed his paw. he grabbed a few more cookies and held them in front of her. they repeted this untill all the cookies were gone. she sniffed his paw and shrank back when she got to his claws. he realized that that was the paw that had scratched her. she curled herself up into his chest.  
"Oh Judy, I'm so sorry, I swore i'd never hurt you, but look what i've done!" nick said, then he began to cry. the tears fell and one landed on the divice that had latched itself onto Judy. the divice short circuted and Judy slowly returned to normal. Nick didnt notice at first and Judy blinked her eyes and looked up at him.  
"You foxes are so emotional." she said after a moment or two.  
"JUDY!" Nick shouted with glee  
"OW!" she said "i have sensitive ears you know"  
"sorry, I'm just glad you are you again" He replied  
"Likewise, how did you remove the divice?" she asked  
"Divice?" he looked at her quizically.  
Judy looked down at her paw and saw that the device was still on her wrist. she tried to get it off but it just wouldnt budge.  
"Do you trust me?" nick asked in a small voice.  
Judy stopped fiddling with the device and looked up at the fox. Nicks eyes were sad and pleading. she was so close to him. why was he asking her that question? Slowly he brought his paw up to her cheek. she flinched slightly when he touched the scratch but then she moved into his touch.  
"Yes" she said confidently  
Nick took her paw in his and pressed his nose to the device. he opened his mouth and bit just underneath the device. he hadnt gotten any skin, but he took some of her fur off with the divice. she flipped her paw over and He dropped the device. Judy tossed it aside and leaned into his chest.  
"What time is it?" Judy asked  
Nick looked at the clock on Judy's phone. "almost midnight, we should get some sleep."  
"Yeah..." Judy said "Nick?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I'm dont want to close my eyes" Judy confessed.  
"Why?" Nick asked  
"i'm afraid you wont be here when i wake up."  
"Come on Carrots, where would i go? we are stuck in a broken down elevator" he felt her move into his embrace even more. "Listen, even if i could i wouldnt, Judy, and i'm so sorry i hurt you." he pulled away and looked into her eyes  
"You were scared, it's ok, this" she gestured to her cheek "this was my fault, i shouldnt have made a sudden movement towards you when you were in that state. you went savage and i thought i lost you. i was so scared. but you knew what was coming and you prepared me for what was going to happen. you were still you, Nick. and i love you for you, because i know you are safe. and you don't have to love me the same way but i love you with all my heart and ~~"  
Nick put his lips on hers. he kissed her with a gentle passion. one that said 'i have wanted to kiss you for so long and i want this so bad, but i dont want to over step my bounds.'  
"Judy, I do love you, with all my heart and soul," nick said  
"Really?" Judy asked still lingering in the after glow of the kiss  
"Yes Really, you dumb bunny" Nick said with a smirk. he pushed her purse away and layed down, taking her with him "we need to get some sleep,"  
"M'Kay," Judy said laying in the curve Nick had made with his body."promise, you will be here when i wake up?"  
"I promise." He replied folding his arms around her, his tail instinctively wraping itself around Judy like a blanket.  
Judy lay there wondering why it couldnt always be this way.  
"I will be there every time you wake up," nick said as if hearing her quiet thought.  
"Every time is a long time, are you sure you can handle being with a dumb bunny that long?" she asked  
"Yes" he replied "Do you think you could live with a sly fox that long?" he pulled her closer to him  
"Only if it's you." she said. Nick kissed her forehead and they fell asleep after a few minutes.


	2. The Chief, Hospitals, & A Video Tape

Morning rolled around and Nick woke up first. he woke up to the sound of Judy's phone buzzing, and he looked at it. It was Ben Clawhauser, the ZPD's desk clerk.  
"Ben? how much longer are we going to me stuck in this metal box?"  
"NICK! WE ARE TRYING TO OPEN THE DOORS! WHAT IS YOUR CONDITION?" Ben yelled into the phone. Nick held the phone away from his ear, and realized that ben was right outside the elevator. "NICK? NICK!!" The over emotional feline screamed.  
Nick rolled his eyes and hung up the phone. he held Judy just a little bit tighter.  
"good morning" Judy said sleepily  
"Good morning, carrots" Nick said into her neck.  
suddenly there was a ray of light and then a gasious substance filled the cabin. he breathed in and realized it was sleeping gas.  
"Nick whats going on?" judy asked coughing heavily  
"it's sleeping gas. judy, they think we went savage." he replied. "hold on tight, they may try to seperate us." he pulled judy a bit closer.  
"I have an idea." Judy said and she tore her shirt a little then wrigled herself under nicks uniform shirt. "Now they wont be able to seperate us" she said faintly but triumphantly as she faded into the drug induced sleep.  
"I sure hope you're right about this cottontail." nick said fading into sleep. he barely saw the doors open and the medics file in like soldiers.  
"Both subjects are down, i repete both sbujects are down!" a leopard said, and he and a panther looked at the pair. the panther smiled. She hadn't seen two animals so deperate to be together since her parents passed away in eachothers arms. she then noticed blood on the rabbits cheek.  
"Jason get them on the streatcher, don't bother to seperate them just get them in the ambulance!" she said  
"Yes Dr. White!" the leopard said. then he whistled and 2 more emts brought in a streatcher. Jason picked up the fox and rabbit and put them on the streatcher gently then he motioned for the streatcher to be taken to the ambulance.  
"what's their status?" chief bogo asked as his two best officers were carried out.  
"They're both alive." Dr. white said rushing out after the EMTs.  
"that's it?" bogo said rushing after her. "What happened in that elevator?" he asked putting his hoof on her shoulder and spinning her around to face him  
"MR.BOGO, i cannot help them if i cannot examine them, and i can't do that if you insist upon me doing your job as well as my own!" she took his hoof off her shoulder "Go collect your evidence and i will try to give you an update as soon as i can" and with that she rushed out and got into the ambulence.  
"Cheif, we collected all the evidence and we found a video recording in the servailence camera of the elevator." Officer Del Gato said handing over the tape.  
Bogo took the tape and grunted. "i'll go to the hospital you go get the evidence to the labs."  
Cheif bogo watched his officers get into their squad cars and head toward the station. he started his car and drove toward Sahara Medical. he went into a conference room accross from the nurses station in recovery that way he could be updated as soon as possible. he noticed a vcr attached to a big screen tv in the corner. he turned it on and put in the tape then pulled out a note pad and pen. he fast forwarded until he watched his officers enter the elevator.  
~~~24 hours earlier~~~  
"So where do you want to go for lunch?" Nick asked as they got into the elevator.  
"I don't know, How about that new garden bar and grill on elk avenue?" Judy suggested putting her phone in her purse. "I hear they have the best grilled carrots this side of zootopia."  
"well, alright but if we don't like it i get to hustle a free meal from em" nick said jokingly  
Judy heard a noise and her ears perked up. "Nick..." she said cautiously.  
"Oh comeon Jude, just a little one" he said pushing the ground floor button  
"No! Nick the elevator cables are gonna snap!"  
"Quick get in the corner!" he said shoving her to the nearest one availible "what ever you do, dont move from there!" he said and he stood over her gripping the bars on the elevator. the elevator jerked and Nick braced for impact. they fell 10 floors before they stopped and the emergency lights came on.  
"Are you ok Judy?" he asked getting his bearings  
"Yeah i'm okay, are you?" she asked looking up at him, she had wrapped her arms around his abdomen durring the fall.  
"i'm oka--" he flinched as something hit his neck.  
"Nick?" judy said "Nick? what is it? are you hurt?" Judy gasped as Nick beared his teeth to her  
"Judy, i need you to listen to me..."  
~~~~~~  
As the stern police cheif watched his officers on the screen he felt an involuntary tear roll down his cheek. he heard a knock at the door.  
"Mr. Bogo, Are you alright?" Dr.White, the black panther from earlier asked.  
"Yes, Fine" he said, quickly wiping the tear away. "How are they?"  
"Well, it's hard to know what wounds came from the elevator crash and which came from the reported savage activity." She began "Officer Hopps has a scratch on her right cheek and a dislocated shoulder, and Officer Wilde has a broken wrist and an injury on his neck which looks to have come from some sort of collar or-"  
"A muzzle," Bogo finished. he pointed to the screen and pressed play.  
"I trust you to put this on me" said the fox on the screen.  
the Doctor and Police chief watched as Judy made swift work of putting the muzzle on nick then getting on the other end of the elevator after cuffing him to the bars.  
"He wouldnt even let anyone do that during training..." Bogo said in a soft voice.  
"Really?" Doctor white said thoughtfully  
"They each had poor experiences when they were young. his was with a muzzle." bogo said still watching his officers on the screen.  
"And what about hers?" Dr. White probed. Now she was curious.  
"Hers was with a fox." bogo said not looking away from the screen.  
"thats very interesting...." Dr White said. "When we found them she was inside his shirt"  
"Why?" Bogo asked with a confused look, finally turning away from the screen.  
"it's an old hospital trick to ensure that mates stayed together when transfered to a hospital" Dr. white explained "The female tore her blouse and then for decency hid in her mates shirt. it let the doctors know that they were lifemates, and durring their hospital stay, they would share the same hospital room or bed, depending on how much space was availible."  
"She comes from a family of over 200, her mother probably taught her that." The police chief said turning his attention back to the screen. he watched as nick struck Judy causing her to bleed. Dr white gasped in horror at the sight. then she watched the fox cower and as he did that she caught a glimps of the device.  
"Pause that." the doctor said. and she squinted at the screen."Damn, i left my glasses in my office, can you see that?" Bogo put his glasses on and got close to the screen "It looks like some sort of divice" Dr.White continued. "It wasn't on him when i examined him"  
"I'll have my officers check evidence, that could be what caused all of this." Bogo said.  
"I'll go check on then and give you an update in a bit" Dr. White said walking out of the room and over to the nurses station.  
"Doctor," a small voice said .  
"Yes Claira?" Dr white questioned looking up from her paper work at the otter before her.  
"We have finished examining the two officers, but we are not sure how to proceed" Claira said in a meek voice  
"I thought my instructions were clear, put them in recovery room 9" Dr white replied looking at their emergency contacts. "Are those their personal effects?" she asked the small nurse gesturing to the plastic bag on the desk.  
" yes," Claira handed Dr. White the bag "wait you meant together?"  
"Yes, they are life mates." she said finding a small box in the bag and putting it in her lab coat pocket. it had been just barely noticable on the screen but the fox definitly had something in his pocket, and as there was a saying about cats and curiosity.  
"Stop!" she said as she saw the two patients wheeled toward the recovery room in seperate beds. Recovery room 9 was small, and 2 beds would not fit in that room. She gently moved the blanked down off nick and picked up Judy. she set Judy down on nick's chest and covered them with the blanket again. "you go back to the ER" she said to the nurse who now was wheeling an empty bed. the other nurse wheeled nick and judy into room 9. Dr.White looked down at their charts to see if she could find someone to call, but they only had eachother listed as emergency contacts. she went back to the conference room to find Bogo now crying openly. it didnt take long to find out why. on the screen she saw Judy trying to calm Nick and get thrown off and hit the wall.  
"Here Cheif." she said offering him a tissue, which he gladly accepted.  
"Thank you" he said. He paused the tape and blew his nose loudly. "I'm sorry doctor, what can i do for you?"  
"it's quite alright, i was wondering if you had any more information regarding your officers families, they only have eachother listed as emergency contacts." she said looking down at their charts.  
"Wilde has no family, not since his mother passed away." Bogo began, "And hopps has requested we only contact her family for her funeral if she needs one."  
"Very well." Dr white said and she turned to leave  
"Are they alright?" the police chief asked causing her to stop in her tracks.  
"I wont know for sure until i know what happened in that elevator. and they still havent woken up yet." she said honestly.  
"This video probably has the answer to that" he paused  
"keep me posted," they each said at the same time. and Dr. White walked out. she leaned against the nurses station and looked in at the odd couple in recovery room 9.  
Nicks eyes flickered open and he felt a weight on his chest. He realized it was Judy and put his arms around her. he turned on his side and gently slid her next to him.  
"You are one sly bunny" he whispered into her neck.  
"I wish i had my pen." she said giggling at the feel of his words on her fur.  
"How did you pull it off?" Nick asked still in awe that it worked.  
"it's an old trick my mom taught me. rabbits use it during natural disasters." Judy elaborated "in the eyes of the doctor on staff it lables us as mates"  
"really?" Nick said with a smirk.  
"yeah, it is only supposed to be used by engaged or married couples though." Dr white said walking in "You could get in serious trouble for lying to your doctor"  
"If i had my personal effects, i could fix this..."  
"Catch" she tossed the box she had taken from the plastic bag. without another word she walked out.  
Nick caught it with his good hand and held it out toward Judy  
"What do you say Jude, are we ready to be booked for life?" He said opening the box. the ring had a large blue violet sapphire on it an then a small group of emeralds that formed a leaf.  
Judy's eyes went wide as Nick slipped the ring on her finger. With as much energy as she could she hopped into nicks arms with a loud "YES" 


	3. The Dress, Polar Bears & A New Love

Dr. White watched from the nurses station as the fox was knocked backwards by the enthusiastic rabbit. Dr. White chuckled to herself as she turned her attention toward the conference room. walking over she knocked on the door frame and went in.  
"Hey Cheif, hows it going?" she asked sitting down across from him.  
The great buffalo blew his nose loudly "It seems that the device we saw on his neck attaches to anything with a pulse. It appears to cause the wearer to revert back to the primitive ways of their ancestors."  
Dr. White looked at the screen and saw Judy running from Nick then sneaking right back over to him.  
"they don't lose sight of who they are though," Bogo continued  
"Has she always run toward the danger?" Dr. White asked  
"I'm not sure you could call Wilde dangerous, but yes. It almost cost her her badge during her first case." Cheif Bogo said  
"They are getting married" Dr. white said as they watched Judy and nick react to eachother on the screen.  
"Took him bloody long enough," Bogo replied grabbing another tissue  
"The ring is shaped like a blueberry on the vine." the panther said still not sure of the significance.  
"Oh how romantic..." Bogo dabbed his eyes, then he noticed her confused look. "That's how they solved the night howler case. He replaced the serum bullet with a blueberry from her family's farm."  
they watched the screen for a moment as they saw Nick pick up Judy and put the scared bundle in his lap and pulled out a cookie.  
"They say love is blind, but that isnt true." Dr.White said. "Love sees it all, every quality and act, both good and bad, and decides to accept it and not be afraid to take that leap of faith."  
Dr.White felt Bogo stare at her as she stood silently and walked back to the nurse's station to find claira in a panic.  
"Whats wrong Claira?" Dr. white asked as she watched the otter scurryback and forth from one end of her desk to the other  
"Um... Mr. Big is on his way here to see the police officers." Claira said franticly  
"Who is Mr. Big?" Dr. White asked  
"He's one of my cousins bosses. and he is on his way here!" Claira said stopping for only a moment. "I have to tell the patients!"  
"Claira! relax, I'll go tell the patients, you greet Mr. Big when he arrives." she went over to room 9 and listened in on Nick and Judy's conversation.  
"Lets get married right now!" Nick said  
"Nick, we cant get married right now!" Judy asked  
"Why not?" Nick asked.  
"First we need to find a priest, do you know any preachers who approve of inter species relationships?" she asked crossing her arms.  
A group of polar bears carrying 3 arctic shrews pushed past Dr. White.  
"We can help with that, cant we daddy?" Fru Fru said holding her baby girl.  
"Of course baby, anything for my grand daughters god mother." Mr big said from his chair.  
"And isn't my goddaughter just darling!" Judy said smiling at the sleeping bundle of fluff. "Wait, how did you know we were here?"  
"Mr. otterton's cousin claira is the nurse" FruFru said "She told me all about it and i said We'd be right over! Plus Daddy has information about the divice." fru fru said with glee, proud that her father could help the police yet again instead of just being the biggest crime boss in zootopia.  
"I heard some talk amongst my business associates" Mr. Big began "about a new product being tested for mates to use during mating season. it was supposed to enhance the effectiveness of finding a potential mate by accesing primitive mating instincts."  
"How were they testing it?" Nick asked pulling Judy a little closer  
"as far as i knew, they were using volunteer couples to test the product." Mr. Big said noticing that nick was getting nervous with the conversation. "it is supposed to help us find our inner animal."  
"Find our inner animal?" Judy repeted  
Nick shuddered at this. He didn't want to find his inner animal. he could have killed Judy in that elevator. he curled his tail around judy and pulled her closer to him and wraping his arms around her  
"Nick? are you alright?" she asked.  
"Hmmm? Yeah i just...." he kissed the crook of her neck "I just really want to marry you."  
Judy could tell he was trying to play it cool. "What about a priest?"  
"Raymond, You're credentialed right?" Nick said casually.  
"I'm not getting married in a hospital gown, and neither are you" her arms folded across her chest.  
"Not to worry my child," Mr Big said as he snapped his fingers. "we prepared a beautiful selection for you"  
Kevin rolled in a rack of wedding dresses and on the end of the rack was a tux labled Nikky.  
"There see," Nick said with some satisfaction and a smirk, "we can get married now."  
Judy looked at them for a moment. "Nick, I know you love me, but this is all so sudden and i still need to tell my family. Can't we wait until after this case? that will give us time to get everything organized." her gaze lingered on a white gown with a lavender belt and trim with pale emerald beading along the neck line and bodice. she went to touch it but then heard nick's faint reply.  
"But by then it may be too late." Nick whispered to himself.  
Judy turned and looked at him "Can we get a minute?" she asked Mr.Big. The arctic shrew looked from judy to nick and back again.  
"Come on daddy" Fru Fru said cheerfully "we'll go talk to the florist about the bouquets for the wedding!" she said to judy  
"Or the funeral." Mr.Big added, glaring at nick. he was obviously still upset about the skunk butt rug.  
"Nick..." Judy said as soon as they were alone again "What did you mean when you said it could be too late?"  
"Judy, i love you." He began "When i held you in your primal state i realized that i could have killed you when i went savage. I don't even know why i didn't kill you. but i dont want to risk your safety like that ever again." He touched her cheek where he had scratched her "What if something like this happens again and i can't controll myself? what if you can't calm me down? how bad" his thumb gently caressed the wound "could this have been? how far could i have gone?" his paw traveled down to her neck then he shrank back "what if i had gotten your neck?"  
"But Nick, you didn't" Judy took his paw "And even if you had, i would have been alright. whatever is going to happen we are going to make it through together. even if one of us goes savage again." she leaned into him. "Fun fact about rabbits: once we like you, we dont stop liking you."  
He wrapped his arms around her "Foxes and rabbits have a lot in common." nick put his nose on her forehead and sighed "I'm don't want to lose you because i can't keep it together"  
"You won't lose me, I promise." Judy said turning her head upwards, meeting his lips with her own. she moved back and blushed. they sat there like that for a minute or two.  
"i almost lost you once, during that stupid press conference." Nick said curling his tail around Judy.  
"What do you mean? i was the one out of line, i should have checked my facts before answering any of their questions."  
"I mean afterwards, when i acted like..." he hesitated "Like a predator..." his eyes fell. he didn't want to look her in the eye.  
Judy met his gaze "do you know why I carried fox repelant?" she began, causing him to look at her "because when i was a kid a fox in my class stole my friends tickets for a carnival. I wanted to be a cop even then, so i stood up to him and he pushed me down and scratched my face. He told me i'd never be anything but a dumb bunny" tears began to well up in her eyes "My parents never forgot that day, and when i moved to Zootopia, my dad made me promise to carry it, so i did."  
"Judy, i'm so sorry, i had no idea..." Nick trailed off now thinking that he had reopened her old wound. she brought his paw up to her other cheek and had him feel where the old scar was. "I should go beat him up." nick then realized how much his body hurt.  
"Dont worry, i gave him a bloody nose that day." she said with a little bit of pride, she liked gideon grey, but that day he deserved it.  
"Now how did you manage that?" Nick asked with a small laugh  
"I kicked him, when he was standing standing over me. i just went with my instincts" she laughed to herself "he told me i didnt know when to quit, and he was right, both then and now."  
"I'm glad you don't know when to quit, Going with your instincts is probably what got you on the force" nick said brushing his paw across her cheek "you probably have your ancestors to thank for that. your great great great grandpa was probably a kickboxing champ in his day. i tell ya we could learn a lot from our past."  
"He was not! he was a carrot far--" Judy stopped "Wait, what did you say?"  
"We could learn a lot from our past?"  
Judy's eyes lit up at the revelation as she hit the nurse call button.  
"Judy?" Nick called to her "What is it? whats wrong?"  
"Oh Nick, don't you see? there is no product at all! it's an experiment to see how far predator and prey can survive!" she was really excited "Oh nick! you're a genious!" Judy took his cheeks in her paws and kissed him deeply.  
Dr.White ran in thinking there was something wrong but stopped and leaned against the door post when she saw them in such a passionate embrace. she cleared her throat. this made judy jump back leaving nick with a smirk on his face.  
"i hope this wasn't a false alarm" Dr white said as she saw Judy hide under the bedsheet from embarasment.  
"We need to talk to our boss, Cheif Bogo," Nick said "It's about a case"  
"He's in the conference room down the hall, i'll go get him for you" she said and she walked out and down to the conference room. she went in and saw Bogo reviewing his note pad.  
"Hey doctor," he said still looking at his notepad. she walked up behind him and leaned over his shoulder.  
"Find anything interesting?" she asked.  
"Actually, Yes." he said flipping through the notes "Hopps got an anonymous text from someone wondering if she was frightened." His attention was drawn to the screen when he caught a flicker of movement from the corner of his eye.  
~~~Sometime during the night~~~  
Judy had gotten up and paced around, picking up all the little bits and bobs that had escaped throughout the day. she took a drink from the juice bottle before putting it in her purse.  
her phone was playing Not Alone by Patty Griffin, a lioness from tundratown. she picked it up and saw she had two new texts. she opened her phone and read the first text from her dad. 

Dad: hey Jude dude, your mother and i never got your call tonight, let us know you're doing okay.

she went to respond but her phone blinked no signal at her. she went to the next text. it was from the same person as before. no name, no number, just question marks. the text sent chills down her spine.

???: Hello officer Wilde, by now you have probably killed your precious token bunny by now. your ancestors would have expected you to give her to your mate as a wedding present. oh the irony and sadistic humor! i can't wait to see how you tore her to shreads mauling every inch of her!

Judy quickly closed her phone and threw it in her purse. she turned and looked at Nick who was reaching out toward her as if he were searching for something. she lay back down next to him and felt his arms wrap around her.  
"You are not alone" she whispered feeling his arms hold her just a little closer and his tail wrap around her.  
~~~~~~  
"Someone really doesn't like them" Dr. white said "Noone goes to this much touble"  
"It's an occupational hazard at the ZPD" Cheif Bogo said grabbing another tissue and wiping his eyes.  
"I know how that goes" the panther sighed "Families are not always forgiving when you can't save everyone." She sat down in the chair next to cheif Bogo.  
"As long as you do everything you can, the families should be understanding of that." he said with great authority.  
"But you and i both know that they don't." Dr white replied her ears flattening at the sad truth. there was a soft knock on the door frame and they both looked to see claira standing there with a file in hand. "Yes Claira?"  
"the toxicology reports are in, i think you need to see this." the small otter said quickly making her way over and handing Dr.White the folder then making an even quicker exit. dr. white scanned it and her eyes went wide.  
"Come with me" she said to Bogo. she quickly walked with him to recovery room 9.  
They were met with the sight of judy asleep laying on her belly and nick gently rubbing circles into her back. Nick was staring off into space and looked like he was in a trance. Cheif Bogo cleared his throat  
"oh, hey cheif. Judy had a break through in the case, but i'm not completely sure what it was. Something about learning from our ancestors," Nick said trying not to fall asleep so he could finish updating Bogo."Mr.Big said there was some sort of research study for this new mating season product, but Judy thinks it's a cover up to seehow long predators and prey can suvive bassed in theur basic skills"  
"Mr. Wilde, do you remember anything from when the device was on you?" Dr. whire asked  
"The only thing i remember before Judy went savage was handing her the muzzle." Nick said  
"The toxicoligy reports came in, your system had excessivly high levels of Phenylethylamine and Mendicampum Holicific acid" she said,reading off the 2 toxins that caused this mess  
"Wait," cheif bogo said "Are you telling me the device injected a chocolate bar laced with Night howler serum into my officers?"  
"Well that's one way to put it Mr. Bogo," Dr. White said, slightly impressed with his chemistry knowledge  
"Remind me to avoid sweets until this is over." nick mumbled "Why are Judy and I being targeted?"  
"Occupational hazard" Bogo said  
"Great, so how do we catch the guy?" nick said.  
"You don't" cheif asked. "You and judy are being placed on mandatory leave until further notice"  
"But cheif! we can help!"  
"This is not up for debate Wilde," the cheif bellowed quietly "you and Judy need to get as far away as you can and hide out someplace where nobody can find you. got it?" Cheif bogo didnt wait for a response before storming out followed by Dr. White.  
"Yes Sir," Nick said then he looked down at his long eared angel. He had to keep her safe, then he remembered an old hustle he had planned out. he picked up the phone and called the one con artist he knew would help.


	4. The ConFox, Photographs & An Escape

The phone rang twice and Nick heard a grunting then a very groggy half-hearted "Hello?"  
"Finnick?" Nick questioned  
"Nick? man what are you doing callin me?" The pair of foxes decided that since Nick was a cop, he could only call in an emergency.  
"I need you to get me to the Delta Echo Alpha Tango Hotel" Nick said in a low voice.   
"Woah..." Fennick began catiously "Are you sure about this man?"  
"Yeah" Nick said looking down at Judy "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."  
"Is it just you?"  
"No, Judy too."  
"Where are you?"  
"Sahara Medical. Recovery room 9 and there are reporters outside the hospital" Nick said looking out the window "So we need to make this look good,"  
"Come on man, Dont i always?" Finnick said smugly "I will be there in half an hour"  
Nick hung up the phone and looked out into the hall. he flagged down Claira who happen to be passing by.  
"May I help you?" She asked politely  
"I need a pen and some paper" Nick requested. he watched the small otter leave and return with the pen and pages, then she turned to leave "Can you wait a minute then deliver these for me?" Nick asked as he quickly wrote out three notes, one to Bogo, one to Dr. White, and one to Mr. Big. "Take Mr. Big his first, it is a matter of life and death" Nick said dramatically as he handed the notes to Claira. she looked at him for a moment then left the room running down the hall.  
"Judy?" He said shaking the rabbit awake "Wake up sweetheart."  
Judy turned over proping herself up on her elbows. "Did we talk to the cheif?"   
"Yea, we did." Nick smiled at her innocent beauty.  
Fennick knocked on the door frame and walked in carrying two duffle bags. "Hey man," he said then he looked at Judy "Hey Judy,"   
"Hi Fennick, what are you doing here?" Judy asked with a smile.  
"You didn't tell her yet?" Fennick asked shutting the door so it was just barely open, suprised that nick called him without talking to her first.   
"You got here too soon," Nick replied closing the blinds to the windows near him "I was about to tell her."  
"tell me what?" she asked as fennick passed Nick a small metal flask and closed the blinds on the other side of the room.  
"Judy there isn't time to explain now, i just need to know if you trust me?" Nick asked taking her paws in his. she didn't answer at first.  
She looked into his bright emerald eyes "With my life." she said with great certainty.   
"Good," he said holding the falsk out to her "Because i'm going to need to borrow it."  
"What?" she pushed away the small container.   
"Judy, i can't explain it right now, but i just need you to know everything is going to be ok." Nick said holding the flask out to her again "Here, Drink this."  
"What's in it?" she said taking it and eyeing it suspiciously  
"Just carrot juice" Fennick said sliding one of the duffles under a nearby chair and unzipping the other one. "You are going to need your strength for this." Judy took a drink from it and passed out immediatly. "oh yeah it also has a hint of ketamine in it" fennick added with a laugh as he passed Nick a bottle of red velvet shake syrup from the local Buger King and put on a pair of rubber gloves.   
Nick tore judys hospital gown while Fennick put fake blood splatter on the walls. Fennick took Judy's paw and put some of the syrup on it. He used it to 'scratch' Nick and then he squirted nick in the 'scratch' for added effect.   
Nick put syrup on his paws and 'clawed' Judy gently making sure not to draw any real blood. then he put a little on his teeth and 'bit' judy's arm and neck. when he was satisfied, he looked at fennic and smiled.  
"Thanks Fennick, I owe you one." he said taking a drink from the flask of carrot juice and ketamine. "Yuck, this stuff tastes terrible" Nick said laying his nose down on judy's abdomen  
Finnick added a little more blood for good measure, then he stepped back and admired his handy work. he collected the syrup bottles and the flask and put them back in the duffle he got them from. he took one last look at the unlikely couple. he never thought nick would ever go this far for a cop, especially a rabbit cop. he turned and pulled the door open and took a deep breath.  
"HOLY HOWLER MONKEYS!!!! SOMEBODY GET IN HERE QUICK!!! I THINK THEY KILLED EACHOTHER!!!" he screamed. there was a mob of reporters and nurses that flooded into the room causing enough distraction for Fennick to slip out unnoticed. he passed by Cheif Bogo and Dr. White running to the staged crime scene. they stood in shock for a moment staring at the massacre before them. Bogo was the first to react when he saw a camera flash.   
"EVERYBODY OUT!" He bellowed angrily scaring the nurses away"OUT NOW!" He and Dr.White tried to control the situation, but the damage had already been done and they were being bombarded with questions.   
"Claira! call security!" Dr. White yelled.  
soon the reporters were escourted out of the hospital, leaving the pair alone to stare at the macabre scene. Dr. White could have sworn she heard polar bear sensation Jane siberry singing calling all angels.  
"How could this happen?" Cheif Bogo said looking at his officers get wheeled out and taken to the morgue. Dr. White put a comforting arm around his shoulders and led him out to the nurses station where claira was waiting for them.  
"Um, Doctor?"  
"Yes Claira?"  
"Mr. Wilde told me to give these to you, he told me to give Mr. Big his first." Claira was on the verge of tears "He said it was a matter of life and death"  
"It's alright claira," Dr white said taking the two notes and handing Bogo the one addressed to him. she quickly opened and read her note. she picked up the phone and called the morgue.   
"Hello?" came the old voice of the tanuki ME.  
"Dr. Azeban, This is Dr. White. Don't start the autopsy on the fox and rabbit just yet. Collect any evidence and clean them up, but don't cut them open." she said with urgency  
"Dr. White? is there something i need to know about?" he asked   
"Just don't cut." she said then she hung up. she picked up the phone again and dialed an outside number.   
"Judy! where are you? your mother and i have been worried sick about you!" Stu hopps yelled through the phone causing Dr.White to pull the reciever away for a brief moment.  
"Mr. Hopps, I'm afraid i have some grave news, are you sitting down?" she said.  
Cheif Bogo looked up from his note, that just said 'Sorry Cheif,' after reading it multiple times. he listened as Dr. White explained the circumstances of Judy's 'death' to Mr. Hopps. he noticed her calmness and found it rather confusing. Dr. White Hung up the phone and Bogo followed her back to the staged crime scene, where he watched her grab the duffle bag hidden under a chair. she turned around and was met with his tall muscular figure.   
"What's going on?" he asked sternly, searching her eyes for the truth. she pushed past him and rushed down the hall with the bag.  
"Claira call autopsy, tell Dr. azeban, he has a meeting with Dr. Gaja in 5 minutes" she yelled over her shoulder "You may not want to follow me, Mr. Bogo." Dr. White said pulling 2 needles and bottle of liquid medicine from a cabinet then going down the stairs.  
"Why not?" Bogo said following her "You are a material witness in 2 cases, i need to keep an eye on you. incase you decide to leave town"  
"I have a family reunion this weekend, and I will not miss it again this year," she said as she entered autopsy.  
"Then I will just have to go with you!" Bogo said with frustration in his voice.  
"We're still calling eachother Doctor and Mister and you want to meet my family already?" she walked over to the examination tables where Nick and Judy lay with both clean fur and a sheet covering them.  
"You know what I meant!" the buffalo bellowed at her  
"Do I?" she took a needle and, after filling it with some of the medication, she injected into Nicks arm. "We're moving along pretty fast don't you think?"   
Nick took in a deep breath and looked at Dr. White "Thanks Doc." he said sitting up and taking the duffle bag from her.   
Bogo stood in shock for half a second. "Wilde! what is the meaning of this?"  
"Keep your voice down!" Dr. White said as she took the other needle and injected Judy "Do you want us to get caught?"   
"What are they gonna do?" nick said putting on a plaid blue button up and pair of blue jeans. "Call the police?"  
"That's not funny" Dr. white said helping the still groggy Judy sit up. "I could lose my job for this, i hope you know."  
"Sorry doc," Nick said tossing her a yellow sundress for Judy to wear "I really apreciate you sticking your neck out like this."  
"What is going on?" bogo asked again, sternly.   
"It's called a hustle, sweet heart." Dr. White said helping judy get off the examination table. "and not a bad one either, but i'm curious, what did you use for the blood?"  
"Red velvet shake syrup from Buger King" nick caught Judy as she wobbled toward him. the drugs had obviously not worn off yet. he threw the duffle over his shoulder and picked up judy who wraped her arms around his neck. "I think i have everything"   
"Hang on a minute." Dr. White said searching the evidence table. she found a jar and tossed it to Nick "It needs cleaned but it should be fine." Nick caught the jar and pocketed it  
"Where are you going?" Cheif bogo demanded.   
"i'm following orders, you said to go someplace where noone could find us" nick said casually "I hear Hell is a little humid this time of year, so i thought we'd give heaven a try."  
"What am i supposed to do about the 200 plus rabbits on their way to pick up her dead body" Cheif bogo asked refering to Judy and blocking Nicks way to the door.  
"That's not my problem cheif, contact Mr.Big when the case is over," Nick weaved around the large water buffalo "or if you need a miricle to solve it"   
"Cheif," Dr white stepped in "it may be better for them to go, the news will have the pictures up by 6 oclock tonight, and it may be better to play along with the story just until the case is over."  
"How are you ok with this?" Bogo asked Incredulously   
"Because i'm in the business of saving live." the panther said turning away "I thought you were too."  
Nick didn't wait to hear them finish arguing as he carried judy up the stairs and out the service entrance to a long white limo with the licence plate 29THD03. Nick put Judy accross one of the seats then pulled a burn phone from the pocket of the duffle.   
"Where would you like to go?" the driver asked. It was Manchas.  
"any where but here." Nick replied  
"You got it," the Jaguar said pulling away from the building.   
Nick watched as they passed the enterence where he saw Cheif Bogo and Dr. White adressing the reporters. the phone in his hand buzzed and he answered it.  
"Hey Fennick," he said   
"Man we are good," Fennick said with excitement, "If you're near a television turn it on!"  
Nick turned on the travel tv at the back of the vehicle   
"It is a sad day for both predators and pray alike as news of the massacre at sahara medical leaves many to mourn the loss of ZPD's finest." Said Fabienne Rawrley the snow leopard news anchor "The first of their species on the force, Nicolas Piberius Wilde and Judy Hopps were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours before they were brought to the hospital where someone snuck in and shot them both with the night howler serum."  
"The hospital staff, alerted by a blood curdling scream, got to the room to find Zootopias heros lying in a pool of their own blood." Peter Moosebridge said with great sorrow in his voice. "Let's go check in with David at the hospital where Chief Bogo is about to give an official statement"  
the screen blinked over to the scene Nick had just seen from the window  
"Things are very woeful here at Sahara Medical As Chief Bogo struggles to begin" the koala said turning his attention to the cape buffalo  
"The words Predator and prey meant nothing to these fine officers until after someone hit them with that damn Night Howler serum" Bogo began"The ZPD will not rest until the offending animal is brought to justice."   
"Will there be a memorial service for the fallen officers?" David asked   
"as is customary in the department, The ZPD has aranged the memorial service for both Hopps and Wilde, at no cost to either of their families. it will take place Friday at 3pm" Bogo said on the screen  
"i owe you one Fennick" Nick said turning off the tv.  
"Darn right you do! and you can start by keepin CottonTail safe! i didn't risk my rep for you to screw it up. Let me know when you come back to life" fennick hung up and Nick threw the burn phone out the window.   
"Mr. Wilde," Manchas said from the front of the long vehicle "I have to go check in with Mr. Big, have you decided where you want to go?"   
"Just take us there" Nick said watching the sun set beneath the west end of Zootopia. He pulled the jar from his pocket and took a few tissues from the box in the corner by the fancy engraved glasses. he emptied Judy's engagement ring from the jar and cleaned it then put it on her finger. the ride was silent and they pulled into Mr. Big's mansion 45 minutes later. Nick picked up the duffle and tossed it over his shoulder then picked up the sleeping Judy who once again put her arms around his neck. He was escorted to a bedroom in the east wing of the grand house by a polar bear named Francine Gruffmyer. she was Kevin and Raymonds Great Grandmother and had been Grandmama's best friend.   
"I'll be back in the morning to check on you and bring you breakfast." she said as she left the room and headed downstairs.  
"Thank you Ma'am" Nick said and he put Judy up on the bed and pulled the covers over her shivering form. he put the duffle bag down and decided that he could tell Judy what was going on in the morning. he went to the other side of the bed and got under the covers, pulling Judy close. it didn't take long for him to drift off into sleep.


	5. The Article, Reporters, & A Prayer

_**ZOOTOPIA'S HERO'S DEAD** _  
_**FROM NIGHT HOWLER SERUM** _  
_Dr. Miranda White Says She Has No Regrets._

Nurses and reporters flooded recovery room 9 after hearing a blood curdling scream wednesday night. upon arival at the scene they found Officers Nickolas Pibereus Wilde and Judy Hopps had savagely murdered eachother reportedly being hit with the night howler serum. after the pair had been stuck in a broken down elevator for 24 hours, they were left alone in the hospital room they shared, where someone snuck in unseen and initiated the unfortunate event that took their lives. Their unlikely friendship, which solved the Night Howler case only 3 months ago, ultimately failed this great test of friendship and loyalty.  
We asked the attending physician, Dr. Miranda White, why she would put a predator and prey in the same hospital room especially two who's species were natural enemies. "i have no regrets," White says "When we brought them in they had been so desperate to stay together." when questioned about her personal views on this matter White replied "would i have seperated them if they had been both been rabbits or foxes, No, nor would i have seperated them if they had been a tiger and an antilope, or a cape buffalo and black panther. Love does not discriminate based on species or size and neither do I."  
While Officer Wilde had no family, Officer Hopps came from a very large family, having 275 brothers and sisters alone. in an interview with her family, Bonnie Hopps, Officer Hopps mother, told us how she had always wanted to be a cop. "We were afraid this day would come," Mrs. Hopps said with tears in her eyes "When we didn't hear from her on tuesday night we were concerned, but we thought she might have been on a case. she was always so brave and confident. we were so proud of her for following her dream and becoming more than she was born to be"  
While interviews with the ZPD yeilded mostly the standard 'No comment', we did get one definite answer from Chief Bogo. "They were two of the finest officers to ever walk accross that stage." the tears in his eyes refusing to fall, "we may never see a pair of officers as determined and self sacrificing and the two we lost tonight."  
the ZPD is hosting the memorial service, Friday at 3pm, in the courtyard of the ZPD Precinct 1

 

 

 


	6. The Shawl, Newspapers & A Promise

Judy woke up to the smell of blueberry pancakes and the feel of the fox she loved behind her, holding her close. she wished they could stay like that forever, but she knew her parents must be worried about her. she slowly opened her eyes and found that instead of the drab beige hospital room, she was instead gazing around a boldly colored gold and crimson room.  
"Wow." she murmered to herself as she sat up on the edge of the bed. As the blankets slid off of her she realized two things. first that she was in a simple yellow sundress and second that it was really really really cold.  
"A sundress is better suited to life in bunny burrows" came a beautiful gravely voice.  
Judy looked up as Mrs. Gruffmyer wrapped a perfectly measured hand knit lilac shawl around her shoulders.  
"Thank you very much Ma'am" Judy said politely and she turned around and shook Nick. "Nick, wake up."  
Nick turned away. "More sleep thank you" he said pulling the covers over his head. This made Judy mad and she shoved him off the bed. the blankets tumbled off with Nick and he got lost in the mountain of cloth.  
"What did you do that for, Carrots?" Nick said searching for a way out of the blanket mountain.  
"because you're a dumb fox." Judy said getting up and stalking over to the table where Mrs. Gruffmyer now sat.  
"I'm sure he had a good reason" Mrs. gruffmyer said with a small laugh.  
Just as Nick found his way out of the tangled mess he was in, he saw Judy pick up the newspaper and he remembered the tangled mess he was really in. over her shoulder he saw a photo of them from yesterday's staged masacre then he saw the headline.

Zootopia's Heros Dead  
From Night Howler Serum:  
Dr. Miranda White Says She Has No Regrets

"Nick, what was in that carrot juice?" Judy asked slowly  
"It was just a bit of ketamine, just enough to knock us out for a while." He said trying to justify his actions. "it's an old con i saved incase of emergencys where i had to get gone quick."  
he watched as Judy read the article to herself. after a few moments she put down the paper and walked toward the phone on the bedside table.  
"What are you doing?" Nick asked following her  
"I need to call my parents and let them know im alright." she said picking up the reciever to the old rotary phone. Nick took the reciever from her and put it back.  
"You can't tell them anything, not yet anyway." he said leading her away from the phone.  
"Why not?" she said stepping back from him. "Nick, have you seen the news? we have to come forward." she went back to the phone  
"And we will," he said leading her again to the table "tommorrow after the memorial service we will go to bunny burrows and tell your parents what's going on." he held out her chair for her "I promise"  
Judy sat down and sighed. Mrs. Gruffmyer put a stack of blueberry pancakes on each of their plates and poured them each a glass of orange juice.  
"I'll tell Mr. Big that you will be needing the car tomorrow evening." Mrs. Gruffmyer said walking to the door. "I'll be in to check on you later." she said and she was gone.  
They ate in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. Judy finished and began to stack her dishes.  
"Judy" Nick said with hesitation "what's wrong?" he asked. he knew it was a stupid question, and he knew very well what was wrong.  
"Nothing," she said in a small voice "I'm fine." she took his plate and stacked it with hers then stacked the cups and put the silverware in the cups.  
"That was a stupid question." Nick said getting up and standing behind Judy "I'm sorry it has to be this way Judy," he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Cheif Bogo said to go someplace noone could ever find us." Nick nuzzled his nose into Judy's neck, and began to sway with her slowly.  
"It's okay," Judy said putting her paws over his. "I'm just worried about my family back home is all."  
"275 rabbits is a lot to worry about" he said with a small breathy laugh  
"That's just my brothers and sister," Judy said with a smile as his words tickled her neck.  
"I wonder howmany brothers and sisters our kids will have" Nick said seductively as the slow swaying turned into a dance, steady and mellow. He turned Judy to face him and put his paw on her hip, and stared into her eyes. they danced around the room slowly.  
"This is silly" She said looking into his sparkling emerald eyes.  
"What is?" Nick asked innocently, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. He spun her around and leaned her back.  
"Dancing to nothing" she said smiling at his act.  
"You mean you can't hear that?" he said in shocked amusement as they continued to dance in a small circle  
"Hear what?" she said perking her ears up to listen.  
"I'm surprised at you, fluff, you're the one with the big ears" he laughed at his own teasing of her.  
"Just tell me." she said in mock annoyance as he spun her so that he was behind her once more with his arms wrapped around her waist.  
"The sound of our love" he wispered gently into her ear as he swayed with her. she closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat, his breathing, his movements. she heard it all in a sweet song that she would commit to her memory.  
"I do hear that" Judy said as he kissed the crook of her neck. she listened to the beautiful music together, breathing, moving, their hearts beating in unison. she wanted nothing more than to stay here with him till the day she died. then she sighed remembering that they were both already supposed to be dead. all her fears came flooding back into her mind.  
"Are you sure everything will be alright?" she asked looking up at him.  
"Yes" Nick said confidently "When we go to bunny burrows, you'll see." he kissed the top of her head gently.  
"How long do we have to hide?" she asked nuzzling into his chest.  
"Until the case is over, or Chief needs a miricle." Nick responded.  
"We may be in hiding for a while then..."Judy said leaning into him.  
"Five dollars says chief buffalo butt will screw something up before he admits to needing a miracle." Nick said, making Judy laugh.  
"I'll take that bet" Mrs. Gruffmyer said entering the room with a tray of fruits, vegetables, and sandwiches. she set the food on the table and took the breakfast dishes. then she went over to Judy.  
"Mr. Big wants you a note to your parents" she said handing Judy a notepad and pen from her dress pocket. "he will give it to them tomorrow at the funeral"  
Judy stared at the blank page for a minute and looked up at nick.  
"What do i say to them? they think i'm dead..." Judy asked looking up at nick for answers.  
"Just tell em that you will be arriving after the funeral" Mrs. Gruffmyer said.  
"And tell them to make sure they have plenty of blueberries." Nick said.  
Judy nodded and pressed the note pad against Nicks chest. 

Dear Mom and Dad,  
I'm bringing a friend home with me. Don't worry about making space, he will stay with me in my room. Just make sure you have plenty of blueberries on hand. we will explain everything when we get there. i will see you tonight. I love you.  
Love  
Judy

Judy handed the notepad and pen back to Mrs. Gruffmyer.  
"Thank you dear" Mrs. Gruffmyer said putting it back into her pocket and picking up the dishes again. "Enjoy your lunch" she said as she walked out leaving the pair alone once more.  
"Do you think they will be ok if your friend is a fox?" Nick asked pulling her close  
"I think they will just be glad i'm alive, they won't care who else tags along" Judy said looking over at the newspaper that still sat on the table.  
"Nick?" she said after a few moments had passed.  
"Yeah?" he looked down at her then followed her gaze  
"Nothing, I just wanted to be sure of you." she said before sobbing into his chest  
"Judy, Judy, Judy, i'm here, i'm right here, i'm not going anywhere," he said gently rubbing her back. Judy burried herself into his chest.  
"Sweet heart, i'm not going anywhere." he said pulling her back and looking into her eyes. he tilted her chin up with his paw. "That's a promise,"  
"I'm sorry for being such an emotional bunny" Judy said "I Just don't want to lose you," she gestured to the paper "Because of this."  
"You won't lose me," he said bringing her gaze back to him. "If even death can't seperate us, nothing will!" he said with confidence and a hint of bravado.  
Nick leaned downand kissed her lips softly. the kiss deepened and he swayed with her over to the bed . He pulled back the covers that were still on the bed and laid down with her still kissing her. he pulled away and looked into her beautiful sleepy eyes.  
"Nick, I love you." Judy said as she faded into sleep.  
"I love you too, judy" Nick said pulling her close.  
"You'll still be here when i wake up right?" she asked curling into his warm, loving embrace.  
"Everytime, Carrots. Everytime. Nick said falling asleep himself.


	7. The Past, Kisses & A Temporary Future

Nick and Judy spent the rest of the day in bed together, only having onemore visit from Mrs. Gruffmyer who brought in their dinner along with some new clothes and a pair of color contacts for each of them. they woke up around 10 the next morning and reluctantly pulled themselves from eachothers arms.  
they each got dressed and put in the contacts, Nick in a pair of blue jeans, a white shirt and the green plaid button up for the jacket now had dark velvet purple eyes and Judy now with pale pastel green eyes was in a black tea length skirt and tank top with a red plaid buttonup of her own tied in a knot at the bottom.  
after breakfast Nick went to the duffle bag and pulled out a little black purse with a line of white flowers accross the top and handed it to Judy. Judy sat down on the bed and emptied it, inspecting it and its contents. Nick took a plain black wallet from the duffle and after counting the money inside it put it in his back pocket.  
he looked up at Judy who was putting things back into her purse. she had never worn contacts before, and she kept rubbing her eyes.  
"why do I need to wear these stupid things again?" she asked finally having had enough, and taking them out of her eyes. Nick went over to her with eyedrops in hand.  
"So that noone recognizes those beautiful eyes of yours" he said pulling up a chair behind Judy making her blush. "Look at me" he said leaning her head back. he put a few eye drops in her eyes and replaced the contacts. "better?" he asked  
"Yeah" judy said blinking twice. she took advantage of their closeness and kissed him on the nose. "Thanks" she said and she quickly went back to putting things away.  
A smile crept over nicks face and he tilted Judy's head back again. he kissed her gently upsidown and as the kiss deepened Judy dropped the lipstick she had in hand and turned herself around. she was now facing Nick and their kisses were about to lead to something else when there was a knock at the door. Judy jumped slightly and went back to her work blushing furiously. Nick shook his head and smiled adoring Judy's embarassment.  
"it's open!" He hollard at the door. Mrs. gruffmyer walked in carrying an envelope and a tray of sandwhiches.  
"I have your temporary ID's" she said setting the sandwiches on the table and handing the envelope to Nick. "It took a little longer to get them than usual"  
"Why? you didn't tell Flash a joke did you?" Nick said laughing at his own sense of humor. this earned him an elbow to his ribbs from judy.  
"No, we had to be inventive with the name." Mrs. Gruffmyer said as nick handed Judy her new ID "you pulled too many scams." then Mrs. Gruffmyer turned to Judy  
"I think you are really going to like what we came up with." sh said with a wink. Judy looked at her ID. "Dear Esther and I thought she was really quite something"  
Tears welled up in judy's eyes and nick looked over her soulder.  
"Jenna Elenor Hopkins?" Nick said thoughtfully "Who was she?"  
"Jenna was our best friend growing up," Mrs. Gruffmyer said  
"She was my great grandmother." Judy said looking up at the great polar bear "Thank you"  
Nick looked down at his own ID and chuckled "Oh the Irony" he said showing the card to Judy whose eyes went wide.  
"You have no idea" Mrs. Gruffmyer said with a smile. Judy kept staring and a tear rolled down her cheek hitting the peice of plastic before her.  
"What do you mean?" Nick ased looking from one to the other "Judy? what is it?"  
"Jack Savage was my great grandfather" Judy said looking at nick with a small but very overjoyus smile.  
"He was Jenna's husband." Mrs. gruffmyer added with an equally proud grin.  
"See, not even time can seperate us!" he said triumphantly.  
"I must go," Mrs. gruffmyer said heading toward the door "I'll come back with the keys after the funeral" she said closing the door and walking down the hall.  
"Nothing to do now but wait" Nick said pulling some papers from the envelope.  
"We can watch the funeral on the news if you like" Judy suggested half heartedly scooting over so she could look up at him from time to time while putting things away into her purse. she didn't really want to but it sounded like something Nick would want to do. it's not everyday you get a chance to live through your own funeral.  
"Actually, i thought we could use this time wisely" Nick said reading over the papers.  
"What do you mean?" Judy reached over and fealt his forhead to see if he had a fever "Are you feeling OK?" she had never seen him take things so seriously  
"Yeah" he said playfully swatting her paw away "But we need to get our stories straight."  
"stories?" she repeted unsure what he meant.  
"Have you ever worked undercover?" Nick asked not looking up at her.  
"Well, No, Not really" she admitted rather embarrassedly.  
"that's okay, it looks like Mrs. Gruffmyer knew that." Nick said emptying the remaining contents from the envelope. he handed Judy another ID card, this time for some library in the Rainforest district "Does anybody from bunny burrows remember your great grandparents?"  
"No, Just Mom. Why?" Judy asked as nick put a few buisiness cards in his wallet.  
"Because we can't have anybody recognize our names and realize this is a con." Nick said moving from the chair to the bed. he leaned against the headboard and put his feet up. Judy zipped up her purse and leaned in the curve of nicks right side.  
"OK. so am i just supposed to act like my great grandmother?" Judy asked "because i never learned how to knit and i'm not good at baking pies."  
"No," Nick said with a laugh, "it says that Jenna Hopkins was a childrens librarian in the rainforest district"  
"That's right, she was." Judy said remembering what her mother had told her "She retired early to raise a family"  
"Apearently, Jack was a freelance business man from savana square," nick said smirking "Sounds like a he was a conartist to me"  
"He was not" Judy said playfully elbowing Nick.  
"Okay, he wasn't" Nick agreed noncommitedly "How did we meet?" Nick said changing the subject.  
"You know how we met," Judy said a little hurt that he could forget.  
"No not us us, Jenna and Jack us" nick said feeling Judy cross her arms.  
"Oh, um. i don't know" Judy said looking down thoughtfully  
"the business cards advertise a tailoring shop, we can use that as part of the story." he began  
"Ok, we met at your shop." Judy said with an air of pride and finality.  
"really carrots? thats it?" Nick said  
"What's wrong with it?" she asked  
"it's a love story, you cant just say we met at a shop." Nick said with authority  
"Why not, whats missing?" Judy asked feigning a wounded ego  
"the juicy details," Nick said "One thing everyone loves is a fine romance"  
"ok you think you can do better?"  
"as a matter of fact, i know i can."  
"alright, how did we meet?" Judy asked waiting for it to be some silly answer  
"we met on a warm spring day in late april 2 years ago. you were out with your friends and your lavender blue dress tore while you were walking past the rose bush outside my shop. your friends brought you in to assess the damage. when they couldnt fix it, they rang the bell on the counter and thats where i come in." Nick began  
"Do you even know how to mend clothes?" Judy asked suspiciously  
"Yes, actually" Nick replied "My dad owned a shop down the road from here before he died"  
"Wow, that's amazing nick," Judy said in awe of the fox she was falling in love with all over again.  
"Yeah, any way. i came in and saw you and your friends in a panic over what to do about the tear in your dress. I offered you a loaner dress, one to match your eyes," he looked at judy's now pale green eyes "A faded pastel blue dress with sunflowers growing in an emerald field along the bottom hem, i think. i offered to mend your dress since it was my rose bush that tore it, and you could come back and pick it up in a few days. when you came back to pick up you dress and return the loaner, you asked how much you owed me and i told you nothing. i told you to keep both dresses."  
"Why?" Judy interupted  
"Because they both looked good on you." nick replied  
"But that's bad for business"Judy added  
"and that's why i don't have the shop anymore. you left your purse at my shop and that's when i decided to find you again and learn more about you. after 2 days i finally found you doing story time at the library."  
Judy was smiling at how simple Nick made it sound.  
"Let me guess, you found me at my work and waited for the children to leave. then you gave me my purse and we went to the coffee shop down the road. we sat and talked for hours. after you left i found a hand embroidered note from you saying that you wanted to see me again and if i wanted to see you and i didn't have a boyfriend to meet you in the resturant of the palm hotel the next night?" Judy said  
"I think you're getting it now." Nick said kissing her head  
"are there any other questions we should prepare for?"  
"What are we doing in bunny burrow?"  
"Vacation, we needed to get out of the city to relax" Judy said without thinking  
"Borring, but not bad." Nick looked at the clock. it was a quarter to 4, Mrs. Gruffmyer would be back soon  
"What are we going to tell my family?"  
"About what?"  
"Why we're staying there, why we look like us?" judy begain "How we made it through alive?"  
"Well i can't say any thing about that, but all you have to do is follow my lead" Nick said "I've been pulling schemes like this for a a long time."  
"Are you sure this will work?" Judy asked  
"yes, and this time it will go a lot smoother, because now i have someone to help me pull it off" nick squeezed her tightly. judy decided against bringing up the fact that they were about to do so many illegal things and they were officers of the law. instead she closed her eyes and nuzzled into nicks side. the knock at the door no more than 20 minutes later brought her out of her day dreaming.  
"Come on in" Nick said getting up.  
"Here are the keys" Mrs. Gruffmyer said handing them to nick "the car is packed and ready to go"  
"Thank you for everything" Judy said sweetly hugging the polar bear before her  
"I have one last thing for you dear," Mrs. Gruffmyer said pulling out a dusty old hat with a faded red ribbon around it tied in a bow at the back. "Jenna let me borrow it when we were young, i never got it back to her" tears threatened to stain her white cheeks.  
"well now you have." Judy said putting the hat on  
"Comeon carrots, we should go now if we are going to get there before it gets dark." Nick said handing Judy her purse and leading her down the hall to the garage  
"Drive safe" Mrs. gruffmyer called after them.  
"we will" Nick called back. they made it to the car and found that it was a buick secada convertable. Nick opened the door for judy and then went around to the other side and got in.  
"Everything will be alright, you'll see" Nick said after he noticed Judy's droopy ears and sorrowful face staring out the window.  
"you promise?" judy asked not looking at him. he took her paw in his causing her to turn toward him.  
"I promise" Nick said. then he started the car and drove toward bunny burrows.


	8. The Truth, Rabbits & An Old Hat

Suprisingly it hadnt taken them long to get to bunny burrows. Nick stopped about a mile from Judy's parents house and got out popping the hood.  
"What are you doing?" Judy asked  
"Breaking the car." Nick replied pulling a wire and snapping a cable. he did a few more things then got back in and started the car. they drove for a few minutes and then the car began to overheat just when they were in sight of her parents house. Nick pulled over and popped the hood again. he waved the dark clouds of smoke away and then went to judy's door.  
"Stay here, and pull down your hat," even with her eyes a different color the scratch looked suspicious, though it had almost healed "we cant have anyone ask about the scratch."  
Nick walked through the spacious feilds and up the steps to the front porch. he knocked on the door and waited a moment before it opened to reviel a tiny rabbit with pink ear clips and faded blue eyes looking up at him. she glared at him then slamed the door on his nose. rubbing the new sore spot he knocked again. this time a rabbit who looked just a year older than judy answered the door with the same little rabbit hiding behind her, still glaring at him.  
"May i help you sir?" asked the adult rabbit presumed to be the little girls mother.  
"Hi, yeah, um my fiance and i were on our way to our cabin on the far side of the burrows, but our car broke down. is there anyone who might be able to fix it?" Nick asked  
"I'm sorry sir but now isn't a good time, we jus--" she was interupted  
"Bree, who is it?" an older rabbit came up behind the first two. "Oh hi, Is there something we can do for you?"  
"Hi, My name is Jack, my fiance and i are traveling, but our car broke down." he said pointing to the car "I'm afraid i'm no good under the hood"  
"I'm Bonnie hopps, this is Bree and that's Mina" Bonnie said  
"GO AWAY YOU DUMB FOX!" Mina yelled running away  
Nick smiled, yep thats why mina was Judy's favorite.  
"I'm so sorry about that sir, Mina tends to speak first ask questions later" Bonnie sighed "Bree, tell your father to get the truck."  
"I understand, i'm not the most welcome species" Nick said "I should get back to jenna though" leading the way to the car  
"Oh no it isn't that," bonnie said quickly as she followed him "we've just recently had a death in the family."  
"I'm sorry for your loss," nick said sincerely "That's why jenna and i are taking a vacation, she just lost her parents. i thought a vacation would help her feel better and cheer up a bit"  
"that's so sweet of you," Bonnie said. "How long have you been together?"  
"oh not long, but i knew she was the one for me when she walked into my shop 2 years ago." Nick said as they got to the car. he tapped on Judy's window and Judy got out. "Jenna, this is mrs. hopps."  
"pleased to meet you ma'am" Judy said, keeping her right cheek covered with her hat. Bonnie looked from Judy to nick and back. then turned away to hide the tears.  
"Ma'am?" Nick said hesitantly "Are you alright?"  
"Yes, no, i'm fine," Bonnie stammered "I'm sorry, it's just, judy's boyfriend called and asked for permission to marry her last monday..."  
"We can walk to the nearest gas station" nick said "if that wuld be easier"  
"No, no, Judy wouldnt hear of it." bonnie said as Stu pulled up in the truck "The hopps family never turns away people in need"  
"so what seems to be the problem" Stu said getting out of the truck and hopping over to them.  
"i'm not sure, it started to over heat so we pulled over." nick said  
"This is my husband stu," Binnie said "stu hunny, this is Jack and Jenna"  
"Pleased to meet you," nick said extending his paw, which stu took  
"Bonnie why don't you take Jenna to the house," stu suggested "We'll work on the car and come get her when we've finished."  
Judy looked at nick wondering if they should be seperated  
"Go on, sweetheart," nick said pushing her lightly toward bonnie "you know how i get around cars, you may not wat to be around for that."  
"Come along dear," Bonnie said leading judy away and down through the fields. Judy was walking on the balls of her feet so that she would seem taller, hoping her mother didn't notice. she had never lied to her mother before and she was getting nervous.  
"you know thats quite a guy you've got" bonnie started "He wouldnt even wait for my husband to get the truck before insisting on getting back to you."  
"Yea, he is" Judy said warmly "He worries about me too much though"  
"i think it's nice that he cares enough to worry about you" bonnie looked over and saw part of the scratch on her cheek. "what's that there dear?"  
"Whats what?" Judy asked  
Bonnie angled to get a better look then she gasped Jack's fiance was a rabbit.  
"you're a rabbit?" bonnie half questioned  
"yes" judy said cautiously. how had nick told her to respond.  
"All this time i thought you were an arctic fox." bonnie looked judy up and down, drawing her attention back to the scratc on judy's face.  
"No." judy said begining to feel self conscious. she pulled her hat down over her face.  
"Did he do that to you?" bonnie asked. she was being a mom, and judy knew it.  
"I'm fine, it was just an accident." judy defended nick like he was the only reason she was still alive. which he was.  
"Jenna dear, does he have you stuck in this relationship against your will?" bonnie asked.  
"NO MOM! I SAID I'M FINE!" The words left her lips before Judy had time to stop them. she looked at bonnie, who stood there in shock, for a brief moment then she ran. she didn't know where she was running to nor did she realize her hat had flown off as she ran. soon she found herself back by the car and in Nicks arms.  
"Jenna? what is it?" Nick asked holding the crying rabbit  
"I'm sorry" she whispered  
"Is she alright, Jack?" stu asked looking from one to the other  
"Jenna, Jenna darling what happened?" nick said pulling away and looking into her eyes.  
"I yelled at her, i didn't mean to, i just" judy's eplaination turned into sobs  
"it's alrigh dear, it's alright" nick said rubbing her back. bonnie hopped toward them holding Judy's hat.  
"i'm sorry dear, i didn't mean to upset you." bonnie said with droopy ears "we just lost our daughter, and she was killed by a fox." she looked away in shame  
"Bonnie, we talked about this." stu said "he was hit by the mendicampum holicifica serum, he didn't know what he was doing." stu embraced his wife "we promised we would live as judy wanted us to live."  
"I'm sorry, hunny, it's just so hard." bonnie said then she looked over at nick and handed him the hat "jack, i'm sorry making outlandish accusations and assumptions"  
"it's nothing i havent heard before mrs. hopps" nick said offering a weak smile "with Jenna's parents gone i think we are all just a little emotional."  
"you three head back to the house, i'll tow the car to the shed before it gets dark"stu said as he noticed the sun setting. bonnie led the way back to the house as Stu hooked the vehicles together.  
"Stu wont be able to fix your car before dark, so you'll have to spend the night. you can use judy's room since it's the only spare room we have." bonnie said as they walked through the silent halls.  
this wasn't the house judy remembered. there was no laughter, there were no rabbits running through the halls, it was so sad. judy gripped nick tighter and hid her face as she walked past her family. she wanted to reach out and tell them that she was alive but she knew she couldn't. if she did, the whole Hopps family would have an enormous target on their back. Judy didn't want to risk that.  
"Ah here we are, this is the room you will be staying in." bonnie said she opened the door to the rather large room. "Judy was the last of her litter to leave home so she ended up having it all to herself in the end"  
A little stuffed polar bear flew across the room and hit nick in the head. the culpret was the little bunny from earlier.  
"GET OUT!" Mina said throwing another stuffed animal, this time a gecko, hitting nick again.  
"Mina! stop that!" bonnie said dodging the flying toys. nick was knocked down by the playthings and only got hit in the eye twice  
"He's going to eat us grandma!" Mina said as she ran out of toys and began throwing pillows which buried nick.  
"she's got pretty good aim!" nick said from under the toys and pillows. mina was out of pillows and that gave bonnie an opening to grab her  
"I'm so sorry for my grand daughters behavior." bonnie said to them.  
"I'm not!" mina said wriggling out of bonnies arms  
"Mina, you apologize right this instant!" bonnie scolded  
"No! He's just like that fox that killed her!" mina shouted "He can't be in here! this is aunt judy's room and he isn't welcome!"  
"Well they are staying the night and this is the only spare room we have, now go find your mother or i'll go tell Grandpa" bonnie said. mina's foot thumped rapidly and then she stormed out slaming the door "I'm so sorry about that."  
"it's alright" nick said as judy helped him up "I get it"  
"she's just hurting is all. Judy wasn't just her aunt, she was her best friend." bonnie said with a sigh as she picked up the pillows and toys  
"it's alright mrs. hopps," nick said as he and judy helped pick up the toys "She's just upset."  
"You're very understanding dear" bonnie said putting the pillows on the bed  
"My father was killed by a polar bear in a drive by shooting" nick said looking at the first toy sadly. "I was angry too, and then when my mother became friends with one i felt so betrayed." Judy could tell this was not an act as nick wraped his arms around himself. "so trust me, ma'am, i get it."  
"We have a friend who is a fox, he bakes the best pies in the tri burrow area," bonnie said picking up a photo frame that had fallen "I don't want her to act like this around him, it would break his heart."  
"Have you known him long?" nick asked. then he noticed how judy had tensed.  
"He was in judy's class when she was a little girl" bonnie smiled at the photograph and put it on the shelf "after judy insisted on peaceful relations between predators and prey we went into business with him." bonnie let out a small laugh and went up to judy. "Judy and gideon got into a fight when they were kids and she came away with a scratch on her left cheek" bonnie touched the place where Judy's old scar was, feeling the ridgid skin hidden beneath judy's fur. "My girl" bonnie said softly "what happened to your beautiful lavender eyes?"  
"Looks like the jig is up, carrots" nick said "you're not a very sly bunny"  
"you both did very well, but i'm her mother, and mothers know everything" bonnie said  
nick looked down in shame, he felt guilty for this one, he hadnt felt guilty about a con in nearly 20 years, but he felt guilty for this one and it was all that beautiful bunny's fault.  
"I'm sorry mom," judy said hugging her mother  
"Why did you think you had to lie to me?" bonnie asked  
"Well it's kind of a long story." judy replied leading her over to the bed so that she could sit down. "promise me you won't freak out?"  
"I'll promise that after you tell me" bonnie said cautiously.


	9. The Fight, Friendships & A Bunny

Bonnie listened silently as Nick and Judy explained what had happened from the begining. when they had finished the room was silent for a moment before Bonnie began to speak.  
"So, you're saying that if anyone knows about this, this scheme" bonnie couldn't find any other word for it "if they find out you two are alive, you could both be killed and then there would be noone to stop whoever it is?" Judy nodded.  
"you will be staying here." Bonnie said standing up   
"Mrs. Hopps, That's very kind of you, but we really--" nick tried to protest  
"You will be staying here" Bonnie said again this time with an air of finality filled with maternal authority. "Dinner is in 2 hours" she said giving Judy a kiss between her ears.  
"Mom, you can't tell anyone, not even dad." judy cautioned  
"Just leave your father to me" Bonnie said with a wink. "I should probably give great aunt fru fru a call later, didn't know she was still alive and kickin i hope i still have her number" bonnie mumbled as she walked out shutting the door behind her  
Judy sighed and leaned on nick.   
"I'm sorry nick" she said looking up at him sadly  
"what for?" nick asked interlocking their fingers.  
"I screwed up the con." Judy said "If this had been real, if we had been on an undercover operation, we both could have been killed."  
"Probably, but it isn't your fault your mom remembers her grandparents, and to be honest with you i'm just glad she is on our side." nick said   
"Achoo!" came a squeek from behind an old sleigh blanket hanging in the corner of the room. Judy's ears perked up at the small sound and she put a paw on nicks mouth. she went over and lifted the old blanket to reveil mina hiding in a hole in the wall.  
"Aunt Judy! it is you!" the bunny cried with glee jumping into judy's arms.  
"Mina, what did i tell you about spying?" Judy asked   
"That if i'm gonna, i have to take my allergy medicine so that i don't sneeze at the dust." Mina said triumphantly, pleased with herself that she finally remembered. Nick let out a laugh as Judy rolled her eyes and put mina down.   
"How long were you hiding there?"  
"Since Grandma told me to find Mama." Mina said sheepishly "I heard everything," Mina wrapped her arms around judy's legs and looked up at her "Please don't go away again aunt Judy, i'll miss you"   
"Don't worry, your grandma won't let us" Nick said walking over to them from his perch on the bed.   
"Nick this is Mina," Judy said putting her paws on Mina's shoulders. "Mina, This is Nick"   
"He isn't as cute as you said he was aunt Judy" Mina said mischieviously.  
"Mina!" Judy said as Nick chuckled. Judy sighed and shook her head "you have to call me Jenna for now at least when we are not alone."  
"That's quite a throwing arm you've got, Little Cottontail" Nick said. Mina watched his tail swish back and forth behind him, and she pounced on it causing Nick to let out a yelp. this caused Judy to go into a fit of giggles, having never heard Nick make that sort of sound.   
"Mina Genevieve Hopper!" came Bree's voice from behind the sled blanket "Did you go to your aunt's room again?"  
Nick saw Mina cringe at her mothers voice, she wasn't supposed to be down there and now all three of them knew it.  
"Wow Jenna, Look what they have!" Nock shouted up through the portal in false amazement "Hello up there!" Nick called "My names not Mina and i'm not sure whose room i'm in but may i just say that your family has a lovely home!" Nick said innocently as Judy and Mina giggled silently trying not to be heard.   
"uh, um, well thank you very much and sorry to bother you sir." Bree called back crossly.  
after a moment or two of silence the three of them burst out laughing.   
"He isn't very cute, Aunt Judy but he's really sneaky!" Mina said inbetween giggles  
"Mina!" Judy scoulded again   
"I got a question," Mina said quieting her laughter  
"You know curiosity killed the cat, right?" Nick said, feigning annoyance.  
"well i'm not a cat, i'm a rabbit, so i'll be fine" Mina said crossing her arms.  
"What is it Mina?" Judy asked stepping between the two.  
"if we could get hurt if anyone found out you weren't who you say you are, why come?" Mina asked. Judy looked at nick, unsure how to answer. "And your dumb fox sticks out like a hare in a house full of rabbits"   
"MINA!" judy half shouted   
"Well he does!" Mina said defensively  
"Just wait till you bring your first boyfriend home!" Judy said through gritted teeth  
"Now I see why she's your favorite" Nick said wraping his arms around Judy  
"You should stay at Uncle Gideon's place! he makes the best blueberry pies!" Mina said as if it was the best idea since the carrot  
"You know that's not a bad idea" Nick said looking down at the Baby Carrots   
"I'll go get him!" mina said running out before Judy could stop her. judy looked up at Nick again  
"Why did we come here?" Judy asked   
"Because you're a family bunny" Nick said "It's my fault you 'died' in the line of duty, i couldn't take your job and your family. you will be safe here, noone would think to look for a dead bunny, especially not here." Nick said staring off into the distance "Mina's right, I do stick out like a hare. I was going to go back to the city."  
"You were going to leave me?" Judy asked incredulously  
"Not forever, just for a little while." Nick said "just until the case was over." if he wasn't introuble before he was now.  
"You were going to kick me off the case?" Judy asked pushing away from him  
"I was trying to keep you safe!" nick retorted  
"Nick we're partners!"  
"I couldnt take the risk of you getting hurt again!"  
"And what if something happened to you?" she asked "What would I have done without you huh?"  
"You would have gone on with your life!" he replied   
"No i wouldn't have! How could I without you?" she asked with tears threatening her eyes  
"But you did once!" Nick immediately regretted those words.  
"No Nick" she said quietly "i didn't, I couldn't. For three months my heart kept breaking over and over again, and you, you just kept being you and not letting people see what gets to you" she went to a shelf and pulled out a hard covered journal. "I wrote you letters but never sent them because i couldn't bear the thought of you not wanting me in your life." She threw the book at him and it hit him hard in the chest "I never stopped thinking about you! I never stopped believing in you! I never ever stopped loving you! confronting you under that bridge was the hardest thing i have ever done! But it just seems like it means nothing to you!" She took the ring off her finger and set it down on the shelf. "Sometimes i wonder if you really are hiding your feelings or if you even have them at all!" Judy ran out with tears streaming down her cheeks just as Mina and Gideon came around the corner.  
"Come on uncle gideon!" Mina said to the tall well built red fox she was pulling behind her  
"Mina! slow down, ya know i aint that fast" gideon said as he was pulled by his paw.  
"You'd be able to move faster if you weren't so poofy!" Mina said following Judy out the back door.  
"There's nothin wrong with a little extra fluff" Gideon said being dragged down an old dirt path, up a hill to a rickety old shack under an oak tree  
"You go talk to her, Uncle Gideon." mina said giving him a push toward the shack.  
"What do i say to her?" Gideon asked  
"Do i have to do everything? i already gotta straighten out one dumb fox! it's your job to talk to Aunt Judy." she said and before he could say anything in defense of foxes everywhere, she was half way back to the house.  
Gideon rubbed the back of his neck and then knocked on the door to the old building.  
"Go away, you dumb fox!" Judy yelled thinking it was Nick  
"Hey! I thought we called a truce!" Gideon hollard back.   
"Gid--" Judy opened the door and sheilded her faceshe stopped "I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to insu---" Gideon wrapped his arms around her making her stop with whatever wool she was trying to pull over his eyes.   
"I don't know what to call you, or what you're goin through," he said holding her as she cried like the over emotional bunny she was. "but if ya want i can be here for ya. It aint no good to be sad on your own." He finally released her and handed her a handkerchief.  
"Thanks Gideon," Judy said looking up at him revieling the new mirroring scratch "you always know what to say" Gideon gently cupped her cheek   
"Not always" he said as memories came back from their youth "What happened Judy? Who do i need to beat up for ya!" he asked puffing out his chest  
"Noone, he just need to learn that sometimes it's better to let things get to him," she wiped the last few tears from her cheek "How'd you know it was me?"  
"Oh it's a fox thing, ya know" gideon tried to play it cool "you're still the judy i know even if you got green eyes now."  
"Mina told you didn't she?" Judy asked with a smirk on her face  
"it's a good thing my walls are thick, she practically shouted it to the whole world ya was alive!" he wiggled his fingers at her spookily in to reference frankenswine. "so whats this ruckus about me hidin a fox for ya?"  
"It was mina's idea," Judy said trying not to impose "He'll be fine in a house full of rabbits," she insisted, but Judy was still worried and gideon knew it.  
"I think Mina is right," gideon said leading Judy back down to the house  
"Where is mina anyway?" Judy asked   
"she said somethin about setting a dumb fox straight" Gidion said. then he saw a hint of fear in Judy's eyes  
"Oh dear" Judy said and she took off for the house.  
"You don't think he'd hurt Mina, do you?" Gideon said sprinting after her  
"It's him i'm worried about!" she called back to the lagging fox  
"Wait, but she's the bunny" he huffed behind her  
"So was I" she said with a slightly smug look on her face as they rounded the corner of the door way. Judy and Gideon stopped and took in the sight that was before them with wide eyes.


	10. The Last Page, 6 Months & A Letter

_Nick,_   
_If you're reading this, it shouldn't be a big surprise that i got a one way ticket home. Some one told me once that I didn't know when to quit, but don't worry after this i'll quit. i know you probably don't want to hear from me, but i just wanted you to know how sorry I am for hurting you and betraying your trust like that. i never wanted to hurt you in any way, but that doesn't matter now. You probably hate me and I don't blame you. Sometimes i can't stand my own existence. I've decided that i'm going to fix this, if it's the last thing I do. I've messed up this world enough, so as soon as i fix this i'm going to quit perminently. you've moved on already and I can handle that, but i can't handle the guilt of hurting you. whatever happens i hope this letter finds you living in a better world. Please know that I love you, and i just wanted to make the world a better place for you. i hope you're happy, i hope you're safe, and I hope you can forgive me for all the pain and suffering i caused you._

_Forever Love,_   
_Judy_


	11. The Ring, Partners & A Bleeding Jaw

Mina shoved Gideon toward the shack and headed back toward the house. she crept down the hall trying not to get caught by her mother or grandmother. she finally made it to her Aunt Judy's room and saw that dumb fox laying on the large bed flipping the pages of the journal back and forth. in his other hand he was holding Judy's engagement ring. he looked like he was doing homework, and he was crying.  
"I've never seen a fox cry before" Mina said crossing her arms and glaring at him again.  
"yeah? well savor the sight kid" nick said not looking up, "It's pretty rare" he kept rereading those last pages over and over again.  
"probably about as rare as seeing when aunt judy gets sad." Mina said looking over his shoulder. nick realized she was reading over his shoulder  
"Listen baby carrots, this is grown up stuff," He said closing the book "I don't think your mom or grandma would apreciate me teaching you what it means to be twitterpated."  
"What are you doing with Aunt Judy's journal?" mina said reaching over to snatch it away from nick, who pulled it away and held it up high to where she couldnt reach it. "She used to write you letters in it!" mina was jumping to try and reach it.  
"Yeah? well she threw it at me" nick said rubbing his chest where the book hit him  
"Did it hurt?" mina asked finally deciding she didn't want the book.  
"Yeah it did." nick said  
"Good" Mina said flopping on the bed  
"If you're here to cheer me up it isn't working" nick said sitting up  
"Good" Mina said again. "I don't want to cheer you up, i want you to feel guilty for whatever you did to make Aunt Judy run out of the room crying like that"  
"You're a little late for that, mini fluff," nick said shaking the book in his paw "I already read the letters"  
"Okay so how are you gonna fix it?" Mina asked  
"I don't know" Nick answered holding his chin in his paw thoughtfully  
"You could go away and leave Aunt judy here with us," Mina said "But that would only make her more sad."  
"Yeah, thats what your aunt judy and i were fighting about," nick said "i'd be gone already if your grandma hadn't figured us out."  
"Grandma is too smart sometimes" Mina said smugly  
"You really don't like me too much, do you fuzzball?" nick asked looking at the smirking little bunny infront of him.  
"Nope," she said crossing her ankles infront of her "But aunt judy does, and i want her to be happy" she leaned against the footboard of the bed "so you better figure out how to fix this, or i'll show you what my aunt judy taught me" she lifted one of her feet and wiggled it in the air.  
"i'm not good at things like this, really" nick said rubbing the back of his neck. "if this was a con, sure i could no problem, but this is real. i can't just walk up to her and say all those messy mushy things to her" nick rambled on and that made mina mad that he was being a stupid fox. "i've thought it all out, we don't know how long the case is going to last. we can't be recognized by anybody we knew from the city. i'm not even sure staying here is a good idea nor how long we can stay before someone from town recognizes us. that's is no life for a lady, always on the run? what kind of future is that?"  
"Oh for heavensakes! would you quit moanin and moping around already!" mina yelled giving him a swift kick to the jaw. Nick yelped again as he fell to the floor dropping the ring and the book on the bed. Mina looked over the edge of the bed at him.  
"What did you do that for?" nick asked wiping some blood off his lip.  
"I was trying to knock some sense into you." mina said handing him a box of tissues from the bedside table and picking up the ring. she sat on the edge of the bed and watched nick sit up.  
"If you keep focusing on the reasons you can't do something, then you won't be able to." Mina looked at the ring in her hand, "But if you took the time to learn from Aunt Judy, you'd see that there is only onething that stops you from being the you that you want to be"  
"And what, my fluffy tailed kickboxer may i ask, is that?" Nick asked from his place on the floor.  
"Your attitude" Mina said dropping the ring into nicks open paw.  
"What do i say to her?" Nick asked looking down at the ring "Surely she knows how much i truly care for her."  
"After that fight?" mina asked incredulously "i doubt it,"  
Nick hung his head, the little cottontail was right and he knew it.  
"Come on," Mina said standing infront of him "You need to practice." her ears perked up as she faintly heard Judy and Gideon running through the back door and down the hall. "You can pretend i'm aunt judy"  
Nick gave Mina a suspicious look.  
"Do i need to knock some more sense into you?" mina asked threateningly  
"okay okay" Nick said with a chuckle and he got up on one knee holding up the ring. after a moment his head fell as he tried to surpress a small laugh  
"I can't do this" he said.  
"Oh! Come! On!" Mina exclaimed "You aren't talking to me! you're talking to Aunt Judy! if you can't look at me then just close your eyes!"  
"Don't kick me if it isn't perfect" nick said closing his eyes "Cause it isn't going to be perfect"  
"It'd doesnt have to be" Mina said as she saw Judy and Gideon run into the room. She put a finger to her lips, and went over to judy quietly and pulled her back toward nick. Gideon couldn't believe mina got a fox to close his eyes so willingly. he stood there as mina pushed Judy infront of Nick.  
"What are you waiting for?" mina asked slowly backing away  
"I'm trying to think of what to say to her." nick said in annoyance  
"Don't think, just talk" mina retorted "and remember, faint hearts never won fair ladies."  
"alright here we go." nick mumbled. he heaved a heavy sigh. he could smell her sweet perfume, but then again he was in her room. he reached forward and took the paw of the bunny before him.  
"I read your letters. most of them were scribbled over and crossed out, but that last one, those last pages broke my heart. if i ever recieve another letter like that from you, i'll be getting my own one way ticket to where ever you are, just so that you and i can be together." he took a deep breath   
"You were right, we are partners, and I should have regarded you as such. instead i treated you like someone frail and fragil, someone who could be taken away and crushed. i treated you like a bunny who could be torn to peices, not a rabbit with the ability to take down a rhino with just her foot" He and Judy let out a small breathy laugh together   
"It scares me that i could have lost you in an instant, and it scares me evn more that i would have been the reason." nick said   
"The truth is that i loved you even then, even after the press conference, i loved you even then. it hurt me more that i couldn't find you again, then someone told me you had left, i thought you had given up on me. I was so angry but i loved you even then. and you didn't give up on me, because you don't know when to quit. and that's what i love about you." his eyes were still closed but his chest puffed out with pride   
"I love you now, like i loved you even then. you don't give up and you don't quit. even when we don't see eye to eye, you don't stop until we get to the bottom of things, even when things get rough, you don't give up. you don't quit doing what you do, you don't stop being you just because it doesn't suit the rest of the world and that just makes me love you even more you made this world a better place just by being in it, and i can only hope to make this world a better place with you." nicks eyes opened and he smiled a sheepish, goofy grin   
"i know i probably sound so stupid stumbling over words like this and you are probably trying so hard not to roll on the floor and bust out laughing, but what i'm trying to say is that i love you, Judy, my darling, i love you more than life itself, and i can't hide it any longer. I love you now, more than i loved you then. there isn't anything else to say really except" he took the ring and slipped it on her finger "Judy Hopps, will you marry me sweetheart?"  
"Oh nick! i thought you'd never ask!" judy said throwing herself into his arms and knocking him back on his tail. one of his arms was wrapped around judy the othe supported both their weights. Gideon and Mina watched as Judy kissed Nick with longing passion.  
"How did you get him to close his eyes?" Gideon asked  
"I threatened to kick him again" mina replied with a sense of pride for the fact that she could get a predator, other than her uncle gideon of course, to do what she wanted.  
"You rabbits are kinda violent ain't ya?" gideon asked as he rubbed his nose from that faded 16 year old memory.  
"only when we encounter a dumb fox, not you uncle gideon, just the really dumb ones." this comment made him smile as he watched mina stomp over to Nick and Judy. "Alright you two, break it up, Mama doesn't want me to learn multiplication until i'm 27, and i'm only 10!"  
"Sorry Mina," judy said standing "Wait, did you just say you kicked him?"  
"She did,"Nick said standing and rubbing his still sore jaw  
"I could tell you where she learned her moves from" gideon said stepping forward. the two foxes glared at each other both looking up and down at the other.  
"I OUGHTA CLOBBER YOU!" they said at the same time both taking a fighting stance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> completion of this story postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.  
> next chapter posted May 13th at soonest.  
> sincere apologies for the delay  
> thanks for understanding  
> MJ


	12. The History, Crepes, & A Reunion

Bonnie walked in and closed the door just as Gideon pulled his fist back and Nick drew his claws.   
"If you boys start a fight under my roof, I'll show you where Judy got her skills."  
"Sorry Mrs. Hopps" Both foxes said as they hung their heads in shame.  
"So I see you've met." Bonnie looked from one to the other and then noticed Nick still had blood on his lips. she stared for a moment, and then looked at the tiny bunny now hiding behind Gideon's overalled leg "Mionette Vivian Hopper!" Bonnie said thumping her foot loudly.  
"Um... I, Uh," Mina stammered "I think i hear my mama callin me!" she tried to make a beeline for the door, but was instead picked up by Gidion. "Uncle Gideon! You're supposed to be on my side!"  
"Mina, we will talk about this later!" Bonnie said sternly "Right now, we have an oath to take"  
"Uh Oh..." Gideon said, still holding the squirming bunny.   
"What do you mean uhoh?" Nick asked in slight panic.   
"It's nothing, Nick," Judy explained putting her paw on his shoulder "It's just, Mama only has us take the oath if it is important and this is very important"  
"Come on, dears, we can't talk until we do this." Bonnie said.  
Nick followed suit as he watched the other place their paws on their heart and cross their eyes. 

_With my paw on my heart,_   
_and my eyes crossed_   
_I swear not to speak of this,_   
_for all could be lost._   
_Spiders, Snakes_   
_And a Lizards head,_   
_If I dare tell a soul_   
_i'll die til i'm dead_

they all recited it together, nick just half a word behind, then they put their paws down and gideon put mina down.   
"Mina, go help your mother set the table for supper." bonnie said pushing her slightly toward the door.  
"But Grandma!" mina protested  
"Now young lady." bonnie said crossing her arms. "before i tell your mother you lost your temper again."Mina grumbled as she went out "Sorry, Mina has anger issues"  
"Yeah," nick said still rubbing his sore jaw "Tell me about it."  
"we need to discuss how to handle this." Bonnie said   
"Well, Mina brought Gideon over, in hopes that he would let Nick stay at his place" Judy looked at the foxes who were glaring at eachother "But that may not be such a good idea"  
"Don't you worry none, Judy" Gideon said with a smirk "I got a cellar he can stay in"  
"Gideon!" Judy said standing protectively in front of Nick, becoming tall standing on her toes.  
"How can you defend him?" Gideon asked "After all he put you through? how can you just turn his life around after all he's done to you?"  
"The same way i did for you!" she yelled with her chest puffed out. Gideon immediately lost all the agression within him.   
"Wait, What?" he asked as his shoulders sagged. he searched her eyes as she visibly deflated.  
"It's nothing, Forget I said anything." Judy said as she went over and sat on the bed and curled her arms around herself.   
"Sweetheart? what's wrong" Nick asked sitting next to Judy and pulling her into his arms.  
"It was you?" Gideon whispered a flash of anger fluttered across gideons face "It was YOU? You signed me up for that stupid pastry contest?" Judy nodded as she cowered into nick.   
"Don't you raise your voice to her!" Nick said pulling her closer.  
"Gideon, think about it for a moment," Bonnie interupted "If she hadn't you, Stu and I wouldnt be partners now."  
"Mama was right proud of that hideous mess," gideon said with a faint smile   
"So were the judges" Bonnie said smiling at the memory of his Brown Sugar Carrot Cake Crepes with Cream Cheese Filling and Blueberry Sauce.   
Nick sat there for a moment and imagined a little Judy sneaking Gideon's name onto the signup sheet. Judy had played gideon like a fiddle!  
"So i wasn't your first hustle?" Nick whispered close to her ear with a smirk.  
"He can stay in the star room," Gideon said after a moment. "Don't worry Jude. I won't hurt him, i promise." Judy bounced over to gideon and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
"You're the greatest Gideon!" she said as gideon caught her in a hug that forced him to spin around. Nick glared at the scene for barely a moment before he decided Gieon could be Judy's greatest, but he would be her lifemate. there was a knock at the door and Bonnie answered it to reviel Stu. Gideon let judy down gently as Stu entered the room.  
"Hunny, you have to take the oath," Bonnie said letting Stu in and closed the door. stu recited the oath of his ancestors and then looked around the room.  
"Evenin' Gideon" Stu said  
"Evenin, Mr. Hopps" Gideon replied tipping his straw hat.  
"Ok, so what is so important that I had to take Great Grandpa Skippy's oath?" stu asked turning to his wife.  
"Stu, Hunny, do you remember my grandparents?" bonnie asked  
"Well sure, they were quite a pair, Jenna and Jack Savage" stu said with a laugh "They were complete oposites but they were crazy about eachother." he looked over to Nick and Judy "You two are a lot like them, even down to their first names."  
"Funny you should say that" bonnie said drawing stu's attention. "Their names aren't really Jack and Jenna" at this Judy took out the bright green color contacts she wore.  
"What do you mean bon?" stu looked over at the rabbit he presumed was just a doe named Jenna, but as she looked at him, he gasped.  
"Hi dad," she said, suddenly shy and selfconcious under her fathers gaze.  
"J-ju-jud-dy?" Stu began slowly as he walked toward her "But you're..." he trailed off as he looked from judy to bonnie and back "I took the call myself, we saw the photographs on the news," he reached up and touched her cheek "You were dead"   
"No, She was only sedated" Nick said drawing attention to himself. "Ketamine and carrot juice taste terrible together, by the way." Noone laughed at the awkward halfhearted joke.   
"Dad, i'm alright" Judy reasuringly took his paw, "I'm here, i'm okay"   
"Oh Judy," her father took her into his arms hugging her. then he pulled away "JUDITH LEVERNE HOPPS! Don't you ever fake your own death again young lady! Do you have any idea how worried i was when you didn't call? and then we got that horrid call from Dr. White! and what about your brothers and sisters?!?"  
"Wait," Gideon interrupted "Did you say Dr. White?"  
"Yeah, she's the one who called us with the news" Bonnie said  
"Why, she's my cousin!"  
"Dr. Miranda White is your cousin?" nick said skepticly  
"Yeah Aunt Panda adopted Mira when she was 14, Jude, you remember Josh don't ya?"   
"Oh yeah! that's his sister? awesome!" judy said with glee at the realization.  
"Wait, i missed something." Nick said.  
"Josh's family is filled with unique mammals," Bonnie began "After Mira's parents were in a car accident when she was young, gideon's aunt and uncle took her in along with her brother"   
"He was so handsom," Judy said "with his pure white fur and his bright blue eyes!"   
"wait, a fox and a bear had a child together?" Nick asked  
"No! Josh is a fulf!" Gideon said "why would you think my aunt or uncle was a bear?"  
"You just called your aunt Aunt Panda" Nick said   
"Both their names are Miranda, so to tell them apart my aunt's nick name is Panda and my cousin is called Mira." Gideon said "Aunt Panda is a wolf, she has a greyish brown coat. she is actually really pretty. Uncle Jon didn't stand a chance." gideon laughed. "They'll all be here for the family reunion this weekend,"  
a realization dawned on Nick.   
"So then it is possible?" Nick mumbled with a quizical look. Judy returned his look then hit him.   
"Of course it's possible!" Judy said   
"Ow!" Nick rubbed his arm "I wasn't sure ok?" Gideons laugh got louder and judy's parents looked at eachother as Nicks goofy grin returned to his lips. Judy hit him on the back of the head. "You rabbits are really violent! what was that for?"  
"Don't think about that while my parents are in the room!" she said in a low voice close to his ear so that her parents couldnt hear her.  
"So what are we telling people?" stu said after clearing his throat.  
"Nick's stayin over at my place" Gideon said with a smirk "that way there is no connection between them. What are ya callin your self?"   
"Jack Savage" Nick said looking nervosly at judy. "Her's says Jenna Hopkins"  
"Aunt Fru Fru certainly has a sense of humor" Bonnie said  
"Who?" Judy asked   
"Aunt Fru Fru Gruffmyer, she was one of my grandmothers best friends" Bonnie said "I presume she set this up, She's the only one who would have known my grandmothers maiden name"   
"Yeah she did" Judy said with a small laugh.   
"Well, comeon Jack let's get back to the farm so you can meet your long lost family!" Gideon said pulling nick out the door. Judy stared after them for a long moment.   
"He'll be fine," Bonnie said "Gideon won't hurt him"  
"He wasn't going to stay" Judy said as she watched Nick and Gideon cross the feild from her window   
"What do you mean sweetie?" Bonnie asked putting her arms around judy  
"He was gonna leave me here and then go back and work on the case, that's what we had a fight about" Judy said "Mina must have seen me running off and sent gideon after me."   
"Knowing Mina she probably tried to knock some sense into nick while gideon was out there calming you down." Stu said with a laugh "The boys are right, for bunnies you girls can get pretty violent." he looked at his girl, just glad she was alive. "He asked me monday for my blessing,"   
"I Know, Mom said" Judy tought aloud "I wouldn't know when though, we were together all day, i didn't even know he loved me until tuesday night when we were stuck in that damn elevator"   
"Proposals are supposed to be spontaineous" Bonnie said "full of surprises too"  
"Oh it was," Judy said mimicking her fathers small laugh "Right down to our doctor tossing Nick the ring. but he could have chosen a more romantic setting"  
"Oh i don't know," Bonnie began, "the suspence, the danger, the sound of your own hearts beating as one? sounds pretty romantic to me."  
"Especially for a couple of cops" her father said "And just look at that ring Bonnie!"   
"I feel bad it took me so long to pick up on it," judy said as her mother inspected the ring on her paw "i'm supposed to be good at that"  
"Oh don't let that get you down" Stu said "Bunnies aren't known for picking up on things"   
"Took your father a year and a half" bonnie said  
"In my defense you're really good at playing hard to get" stu said with a frown  
"So is Nick" Judy sighed "I hope he'll be ok..."   
"Sure he will, gideon is with him" bonnie said trying to comfort Judy   
"That's what i'm afraid of" Judy said watching the foxes fade away in the distance behind the trees.

 


	13. The Telescope, Stars & A Handkerchief

Gideon led nick away from the Hopps family farm, away from Judy, in silence. Nick kept looking behind him, waiting for his emotional bunny to come running after him, but she never did. Nick watched her stare through the window at them until they passed the line of small trees that devided the properties. Gideon led Nick to an upper room filled with star charts and had a telescope near the window which over looked the carrot fields next door.  
"Well," Gideon said walking back out "This is it, sorry bout the mess. I ain't been up here since Judy visited last, and I didn't get no time to pick up."  
"You and Carrots must be pretty close" Nick said inspecting the charts  
"Yeah, we get on real well. She's a pretty great gal" Gideon said bringing in some pillows and a blanket from the linen closet in the hall around the corner.  
"Listen, you and i got off to a bad start," Nick began. Gideon turned and glared at him angerly  
"Look pal, the only way you're still walkin is on accounta i promised jude i wouldn't hurt ya!" Gideon said with a snarl.  
"Oh, Likewise." Nick said seemingly unconcerned for his personal safety.  
"Like you could really do much damage!" Gideon scoffed  
"You'd be surprised," Nick retorted.  
"You couldn't even defend yourself from a 10 year old bunny!" Gideon chortled.  
"Neither could you!" Nick said annoyed at the conversation  
"I was 10! you're what? 32?" Gideon said triumphantly  
"I'd shut that country bumpkin trap if i were you, cow boy" Nick said snidely  
"Or what? Ya gonna call Judy over here to fight for ya?" Gideon smirked  
"Naw" Nick poorly imitated gideons sothern drawl "I'll just use some of what they taught me over at that there police academy!" Gideon glared at Nick and then punched the wall.  
"You're one lucky canine!" Gideon said glaring at nick. Nick didn't pay him any mind, instead directing his attention toward the window.  
"You have no idea" Nick mumbles as gideon stormed out. Nick went over to the window and looked through the telescope. he searched for Judy finally finding her window and looking through it. he laughed to himself as he watched her rummage through her closet tossing thing everywhere. finally she pulled on a tall thin box and emptied it on her bed. Nick realized what it was and scurried around to find a pen and paper. he found a marker and a graphpaper notebook. he scrawled across the page:

_**I see you,** _  
_**do you see me?** _

he held up the notebook and looked through the telescope. he saw Judy nod then she signaled the word radio. nick looked around for a moment and found an old walkie talkie. he picked it up and turned it on.  
"Nick, get Gideon," Judy said through the radio. she said it so loudly he was knocked backwards. he stood and brushed himself off then went to the door.  
"Gideon!" Nick yelled "It's Jenna" he tried to sound less worried than he was. Gideon came running in.  
"What's wrong? is she alright?" Gideon asked. Nick rolled his eyes  
"I got him Carrots," Nick said into the walkie talkie "Whats up?"  
"My parents brought me a paper," Judy said "apherently there have been more cases like ours, mammals are being kidnapped one day and then show up atthe hospital the next and they are all matched pairs."  
"What do you mean matched pairs?" Nick said curiously.  
"They are all Pred/Prey pairs and all have ancient history with eachother. There was a dingo and wombat, a lion and a buffalo, a cyote and sheep, the list goes on."  
"There ain't been no fatalities yet has there?" Gideon questioned  
"No, but everyone sees the potential, and that's where the issues are." Judy continued, "the predator of the pair is injected with the formula and goes berserk, but after it is out of his system, there is still a primal urge. if the predator smells their matched prey's blood they become very primal, some of them have even gone savage. the funny thing is that the Predators seem more traumatized than the Prey"  
"I thought we put a stop to this after the nighthowler case," Nick grumbled "Wait, the predator was more traumatized than the prey?"  
"they have severe memory loss and develop an increased apitite for protein," Judy said  
"Is that all?" gideon laughed "Shoot, everyone gets cravings like that jude."  
"To the point of licking someone just to tase their blood?" Judy asked sarcastically.  
"Well, no," Gideon concieted  
"Judy, i want to try something," Nick said "Is there a place we can go?"  
"Yeah, tell gideon to take you to the old grotto" Judy said  
"Okay, bring your sidearm, it's in the glovebox"  
"Okay, we'll meet there in 20"  
Nick turned off the radio, and looked at Gideon. Gideon glared at nick for a moment and then led the way out the door and down the stairs. the walk was mostly quiet until gideon couldnt stand it anymore.  
"What are you up to?" he stopped and turned to face Nick  
"How good of a shot are you?" Nick asked ignoring the question  
"What's that supposed to mean?" gideon asked  
"Don't get too excited, Tex," Nick smirked "I just need to be sure you can hit me with her tranq gun if anything goes wrong."  
"You'd really let me tranq ya?" Gideon asked  
"If it meant keeping judy safe, i'd let you muzzle me too" Nick walked past gideon down the path. gideon stared for a moment then followed nick.  
"You'd do that for judy?" gideon asked skeptically  
"In a heartbeat" nick said stoping at the fork in the road. "Which way?"  
"Um, to the right," gideon replied "You must really love her"  
"Yeah, I do." Nick said continuing down the path "so where is this place anyway?"  
"Just up there," Gideon said "It's only Jude and me what knows about it," he laughed inwardly "I never realized how beautiful it was up here back then"  
"what do you mean?" nick asked as he ducked under a branch.  
"I only found this place because I was following Judy. she took somethin of mine an i wanted it back" gideon said ducking to avoid the same branch.  
"What did she take?" nick asked wondering what was so important to follow a rabbit so far into the woods  
"she took my apron after i took her cop cap" gideon said with a sly grin  
"No wonder," nick laughed  
"Yeah, she was pretty mad at me for that one" gideon replied awkwardly as they walked into the clearing. "She always came out here when she wanted to not hear anything"  
"Hey what took you so long?" Judy asked jumpin down off a rock  
"We just got caught up in a memory" gideon said with a soft smile  
"which one?" Judy asked. Nick noticed Gideons discomfort  
"Did you bring your sidearm?" Nick asked  
"Yeah," Judy said "So, why do we need this again?"  
"Just in case," Nick said taking it from Judy and handing it to gideon. "I need you to bleed Judy"  
"What?" Judy and gideon exclamed in unison.  
"I need her to bleed to test the theory, now how are we going to do this?" Nick said as he got close to the ground and searched for a sharp rock or something.  
"What theory is that?" gideon asked checking the guns features  
"I need to know if we will react the same if she bleeds" nick said "That's why you have the gun"  
"instead of searching for something sharp, you could use your claws" Judy said without blinking as she realized Nick had a point. Nick stopped searching and stared at her "You both still have them don't you?" she asked impatiently. Nick and gideon both looked at eachother then at their paws.  
"Gideon, you do it." Judy said decidedly  
"Are you sure about this Jude?" Gideon asked nervously  
"If he's going to go nuts everytime I bleed i need to know about it," Judy said bravely "and now is as good a time as any."  
Gideon hesitantly took her wrist and let his long sharp nails pierce the skin beneath her fur. He heard her breath catch and looked up.  
"I'm alright" Judy said. Gideon had drawn blood and left gave her a scratch that stretched half way from her elbow to her wrist.  
"Well?" Gideon questioned Nick.  
Nick sniffed the air and caught the scent of her blood. His mind went crazy. ‘There is a rabbit nearby, should i kill it? It’s Judy. i can’t kill Judy! Wait if i’m not killing her then what am i doing? Am I … No, I can’t be, I don’t even know how that works, But then why else would I be smelling that sweet perfume? The only other alternative would be... No! It has to be this,’ He stood there for a moment before slowly walking toward them.  
"Nick," Judy said "Talk to me,"  
Nick was on all fours, he snarled at gideon who jumped back releasing Judy’s wrist. Nick wound his way around Judy. ‘Why did I just do that? What do I do next? Will she freak out? I don’t want to bite her, What do i do?’  
"Do ya want me ta shoot him?" gideon asked almost hopefully.  
"Not yet," Judy said watching Nick move. In unforced rhythm he moved until Judy was wrapped in his embrace. His mind told him to bite her and tear her to shreds, but his heart told him that he and Judy were in the middle of an ancient mating ritual. Pressing his nose to her wrist, Nick breathed in her scent. ‘She smells so delicious, no, stop, dont think that way, ignore the fact that she is a rabbit. She’s Judy, you love her, you don’t eat mammals you love, ’  
"Nick, say something" Judy said quietly. Nick looked up from his concentrated efforts to figure out if she was his mate, or his meal. Judy noticed a deep desire, a longing, in his eyes.  
"Gideon? What is he doing?" Judy asked as Nick's blood stained nose traveled up her wrist and to her neck where he began to nip at her fur memorizing the way she felt against him.  
"Looks like he's tryin ta make you his bride" Gideon said scratching his head.  
"What?" Judy looked at Gideon in disbelief then at Nick.  
"Foxes don't practice it anymore, but part of out heritage includes memorizing our vixens scent by drawing blood and the way she feels by nipping at the fur on her neck. the ritual ends with a token of love, normally a possum, small rodent, or" Gideon stopped.  
"Or a rabbit" Judy finished as nick pulled back and looked at her in quiet desperation.  
'I won't hurt her, she'll be fine right? i won't hurt her, i want to devour her, but she is my mate, not my meal, I love her. I love her. I love you Judy' Nick thought  
"He won't hurt ya." Gideon said "But his mind is probly goin’ about a mile a minute, because your scent it so strong."  
"will this happen every time?" Judy asked as Nick leaned his head back and screeched.  
"the screeching? naw that's a one time thing." Gideon said chuckling a bit as judys ears dropped behind her head "He won't go nuts if you're with him when you bleed. if he is too far away, he'll follow your scent til he finds ya then probly snarl at anyone who comes close."  
"Good to know" Judy said as the screeching came to a halt. Nick put his paws on her hips and began rubbing up and down her body memorizing the curves of it, nipping at the crook of her neck once again  
"I should probly tranq him before he completes the ritual tho" gideon said hiding a laugh behind his paw. "the rest should be saved for the hunnymoon"  
"The rest of the ritual?" Judy blushed furiously "You mean there's more?"  
"Yep," Gideon said as he took aim and got nick on the back of the neck "But like i said, that's hunnymoon stuff" He walked over to judy and wrapped his handkerchief around her wrist.  
"Thanks Gideon," Judy said as gideon threw nick over his shoulder.  
"I'll get him back to the house and i'll see ya tomarow, right?" Gideon asked  
"Yep, " Judy nodded "I'll tell dad to give you an extra bushel of berries."  
"Thanks Jude" Gideon said as he walked off down the path with an exausted nick.  
Judy stood there for a moment but then hopped down the other path that lead to her parents farm. she realized that nick had to make a grave choice given the sideffects of the toxins. the desire in his eyes was love.  
'I love you too Nick' she thought as she walked through the fields


	14. The Greys, Color, & A Pair of Purple Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Thanks to:  
> BngSteal and ZootopianFulf for making special apearences  
> and to  
> Mr. Valtom, without whos help the backstory for Mira and James would be crappy.

"Judy!" Nick woke up and looked around. he was back in the spare room of the Greys farm house. the scent of her flowed in through the window. there was a knock at the door as Nick sat up on the edge of the bed. "Yeah?" nick said groggily  
"Hey," Gideon said as he walked in holding a mug. "Jude said you liked triple cream and triple sugar,"  
"Thanks," Nick graciously accepted the devine morning brew and then got up and looked out the window. "What happened last night?"  
"You went Old School Romance on Judy," Gideon said with a laugh "I had to tranq ya just ta keep ya away from her"  
"I didn't go all the way did I?" Nick looked through the telescope for her.  
"Nah, i got to you in time," gideon replied slightly relieved  
"good," Nick said as he noticed her. Half the distance between the houses he saw through the telescope his beautiful bunny. She was in a long blue and white sundress and had a large woven basket on her hip. "I didn't hurt her did I?" nick looked over to gideon for a moment  
"You may have hurt her ears," Gideon replied in a non-serius tone. this caused Nick to look at her again through the scope.   
"They don't look hurt," Nick said after inspecting her beautifully delecate ears "How bad did I get?"   
"You screeched" Gideon said with a smirk  
"I screeched!" Nick said with a sigh "How embarasing!"  
"Not half as embarasing as me having to tranq ya and carry you back here!" gideon let out a laugh as he walked out.  
"Judy." he breathed. he watched her turn around and look up at him. "Can you hear me?" he asked. Judy nodded.   
"Ok this is going to sound weird," Judy shook her head and set down the basket she has been carrying on her hip. then she tapped her nose. the night before while he had been memorizing her scent she was memorizing his voice. the screeching wasnt just one pitch it had been more like a song. but it had been loud and that's what hurt her ears.  
"You know i can smell you?" Nick asked. Judy nodded once more. then she held up the basket and nick saw the berries.  
"Are those for me?" Nick asked with glee. Judy shook her head, and put one paw high above her.   
"Oh they're for him" Nick grumbled. he watched Judy put her paw on her hip and stick her tounge out at him, then turn away. he pulled away and took another drink of his coffee. "When do you think i can see her again" Nick asked gideon, as he walked back in with a stack of clothes.   
"Probly not til after the reunion" Gideon replied "Get yourself ready, it's almost 11 and Aunt Panda is already here with Uncle Jon and Josh. Mira was supposed to be coming with them but she had to bring a friend along at the last minute." gideon said walking out into the hall so that Nick could change. Nick went back to the window and watched Judy.   
"Sometimes I wish i was a rabbit" Nick said. Judy turned and pointed to herself then to the basket of berries with an unspoken question. "Both, but it's more about you than the berries, those are just a bonus." Judy rolled her eyes   
"Speaking of berries will you bring some over for me," Judy visibly laughed and shook her head turning away again. "Please! I promise not to screech at you again!" judy waved a paw signaling goodbye.  
"Hey fluff!" nick said a little louder. Judy turned and looked toward his window. "I love you, You know that right?" He watched Judy put a paw thoughtfully under her chin then nod. "My Sly bunny" Nick said softly as he watched Judy blow him a kiss and walk back to the burrows  
"Who is Mira again?" nick asked 5 minutes later walking into the hall coffee mug in paw.  
"That's Dr. Whites nickname round here," Gideon said exasperatedly "Wasn't ya paying attention last night?"   
"No, I was a little busy trying to figure out how to not lose Judy" nick said pulling at the purple hawaiian shirt he wore. it looked weird because he had never worn purple before, especially the faded lavender he wore now.   
"Mira and James are brother and sister, and are Aunt Panda's god children."  
"Question," Nick shouted raising his free paw "Why is there a bear in the family?"   
"there isnt," gideon said in frustration, "Aunt Panda is a wolf. Mira's and Aunt Panda's name is Miranda," Gideon walked down the steps.  
"What happened to Mira's Parents?" nick asked following him.   
"You sure ya want to know?" Gideon led Nick over to the kitchen where there was more coffee.  
"i wouldnt have asked if i didn't" Nick said bluntly as he helped himself to another cup "I already guessed they passed away, i just want to know how?"  
"Robert and Laura White were heads of music and dance at a theatre in south savanna central," gideon began "Laura was in the midle of the final dress rehersal for HoofLoose when something startled one of the wildebeest, causing a stampede. Rob ran toward her in the hope of sheilding Laura from the thundering hooves, but there were too many of them."  
"Where were James and Mina?" Nick's mind went back to the night his father died. Nick had been right there walking home with him from the shop. His father sensed something, and put him into a nearby metal barrel. Nick remembered seeing the long white limosine drive by with a large furry polarbear arm shooting a gun, hearing the metal ricocette and waiting in the silence.   
"Sitting in the orchastra pit," Gideon said sorrowfully "Rob jumped up to the stage to protect Laura, and Mira went to help but James pulled her back as the stampede headed straight for them, the wildebeests jumped right over the pit and out the back doors."   
Nick said nothing, but instead looked out the back door. the white picket fenced in yard had more foxes than Nick had ever seen in Zootopia. the doorbell rang and gideon turned toward the sound.  
"Stay here, I don't want to have to explain you to anybody." Gideon said as he walked out of the kitchen.  
Nick took this opertunity to try and sneak out the back gate. he finished his coffee and put the mug in the sink. he went out the back door and weaved through the conversations of his species. he was almost to the gate when he was run into by an odd looking canine.   
"Sorry, Bud," The interesting dog said extending a paw toward nick. he was pure white with Arctic blue eyes.   
"It's fine" Nick said taking the paw and standing up.  
"Names Josh," he said and then he looked at nick full on   
"Jack Savage" Nick said looking up as Josh dwarfed him by at least a foot. Nick took in the image of this creature. it was like someone took all the aspects of his parents, put them in a jar, and just split the difference.  
"Oh you're the one gideon keeps talking about" Josh said "I see what he means about those eyes of yours. that is quite and intriguing shade of purple."   
"Yours are quite unique in their own right" Nick said after blinking twice.  
"Yeah I got them from Mom." He smiled "Mom!" he called over the crowd and a tall wolf with grey brown fur made her way over. "Mom, this is Jack"  
"Jackson Anthony Savage" Nick extended a paw "Jack of all trades. Master of none."   
This introduction sent her into a fit of laughter.   
"that is a wonderful introduction, he really is quite something isnt he Josh?" Josh's mother said after regaining her composure. then she looked Nick up and down finally settling her gaze on his eyes. "Well, bless my soul!" the wolf said "them eyes sure know how to sparkle don't they?"   
"Yes ma'am" Nick said  
"I'm Miranda Black, but you can call me Aunt Panda" she said with a smile. "So this is you're first Grey reunion eh? who are you related to?"   
"Well it's such a large family, it's hard to pinpoint an exact" Nick began nervously. he hadnt prepared for this question.  
"Oh don't worry dear, i'm a wolf, you don't need to tell me how hard it is to keep track of familyI'm Gideon's aunt, John is his mother's brother." Panda said. "John dear, give us a wave."   
a white fox about a head taller than Gideon raised his paw from the barbecue. "Oh howmany times do i have to tell him not to run the barbecue!"  
"Well, it was very nice to meet you but i have some buisiness to attend to."  
"Oh no! you musn't go yet!" Panda said grasping Nicks arm. "You must meet my god daughter she just arrived and she brought a friend."  
"Mira! Mira over here!" Josh said waving the feline over.  
What nick thought was going to be a piece of cake now had a rather large helping of bovine icing to go with it.


	15. The Unexpected, Tygonal & a Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Shlomo, your patience with my words was amazing. You are greatly appreciated.

Judy looked at herself in the mirror. She checked that her contacts were in properly and tugged at her garden green cotton dress with dancing magnolias spiraling down her skirt. She pulled on a thin matching lavender three-quarter-sleeve jacket. She didn't know why she was so worried over her appearance, she was just delivering blueberries. Then she smiled to herself. She was just delivering blueberries, but she was delivering them to Nick. She looked at herself once more in the mirror and made her way through the back door, dragging the basket filled cart around the house along the dirt path.  
Once she reached the main road, she looked up the hill toward Gideon’s house and then at the wagon with the pair of 5 foot tall baskets of berries. She sighed as she took off her jacket and hid it in the corner of the wagon. Then she pulled the wagon up the hill, looping one arm through the handlebar.  
Fifteen minutes later, she was almost at the top when she tripped on a rock. The cart flew back down the hill taking Judy with it. She tried to use her foot to stop the cart. Blueberries spilled everywhere as she tried to tug her trapped arm loose.The cart went past her parents house, down the hill even farther. She was being dragged with it unable to wrench her arm from the handle bar, blueberries spilling everywhere when she saw something speed past her already speeding wagon.  
"Hold on tight, Cotton Tail!" someone shouted.  
Judy did as she was told and with a great kick of her powerful foot, her arm came loose as she swung herself up into the wagon. She slid down the handle into the small space where her jacket hid. Judy closed her eyes tightly and she held on to the sides. As the cart jostled to a stop a few dozen more berries spilled out of the baskets. Judy slowly opened her eyes and was met with the sight of feline eyes attached to the biggest cat she had ever seen. He was tall, very buff, and his fur had quite unusual markings. His pastel rosettes and harsh stripes beautifully contrasted against the bright orange fur.  
"Are you alright Ms…. ?" the Feline asked, moving the handle of the wagon so Judy could get down. Judy slid down the handle and extended her paw.  
"Ms. Hopkins, but my friends call me Jenna," Judy finished, propping herself on the wagon trying to be anyone but herself 'Sweet cheese and crackers! when did I get so comfortable with lying?' she looked him up and down. His leatherette jacket wrinkled at his arm movements as he bent down to shake paws. He was staring at her, not letting go of her paw.  
“What’s yours? Or should i just call you ThunderCat?” she said stifling a giggle  
"Well.. umm... it's uh..." The big cat had been caught off guard, and he straighten himself finally letting go of her paw  
"Are you always this articulate?" Judy asked as she hopped up and inspected the baskets of berries. She hadn’t lost as many as she thought she had.  
"It's James, Dr. James G White," the feline replied  
"Oh, you're a doctor?" Judy said her interest peaked, she looked at the trail left going up the road  
"Yeah, I got my Doctorate in Biochemistry." James said with a proud smile. "I run a pharmaceutical company"  
“Thats pretty neat!” Judy hopped down again and winced as she reached for the wagon’s handle  
"Here," James said, pulling a small bottle of Tygonal: Extra Strength out of his jacket’s pocket and breaking one pill in half for her.  
"Thanks," Judy said swallowing the half a pill. She ran a paw over her ears to push them back.  
"That's an... interesting mark on your cheek" he said looking at her suspiciously.  
"You should see the other guy" Judy said playing it off as a bar-room brawl.  
"I didn't think bunnies got into fights" James said still cryptically eyeing her.  
"You don't have 162 older brothers." Judy heard herself say. 'why do i keep lying like this! i would never hurt my brothers and they would never hurt me!' She began to wonder if nick was rubbing off on her.  
"No i don't, but i have a sister and 2 godbrothers." The feline's expression softened. "I'm actually on my way to our family reunion but I'm kind of lost."  
"What reunion are you going to?" Judy asked  
"The Grey Family Reunion," James said pulling out the postcard like invitation from his inside pocket.  
"Well you're in luck, that's just where i'm taking all these berries." Judy began pull the wagon with her other arm leading the way, but then the wagon was going faster than she was, up the hill. she turned around and saw James pushing the wagon from behind.  
"What are you doing?" she asked  
"Helping," James said with a shrug "we don't want you to have another one of those cute little damsel in distress moments, do we?"  
"Do I look like a damsel in distress to you?" Judy asked thumping her foot  
"Not now, but if you try to pull these up that hill alone again you will" James smirked "you're just mad because I'm right and you know it"  
"Fine," Judy said with a huff. they walked side by side up the hill and after a moment she looked him up and down. "That's quite a unique pattern on your fur."  
"Yeah, My mother was a Snow Leopardess and my father was a Tigon." james said, "my sister is a melanistic leotigoness"  
“Really?” judy looked at him in surprise “Wait, what’s a tigon?”  
“A tigon is a Tiger/Lioness hybrid,” James explained “My grandparents on Dad’s side were different species.”  
"So how are you related to Gideon?" Judy asked still trying to figure out how that could be possible.  
"It's kinda complicated" James said looking away. They had just passed Judy’s parents house and were still heading up the hill to gideon's family farm. "My sister, Mira, and I were taken in by our godmother, Panda, when we were kids. Our parents died in a wildebeest stampede. I learned then that everyone is just the same as they would have been thousands of years ago. we are all animals and everyone is just hiding behind this mask of civilized society..." James' voice had become uneven and his teeth began to bear only slightly  
"James?" Judy said placing her small paw on his rather large one "Are... Are you alright?"  
"hmm? Yeah..." James' features softened once more. "Just thinking... So how do you know Gideon?"  
"He's an old friend of the family. My Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Stu are his business partners."  
"So your family are obviously farmers, what other crops do you grow?"  
"Oh we started out with carrot," judy said talking with her paws "but with the new technology for greenhouses, now we grow everything from Cocoa Beans and Bananas, to watermelon and Squash."  
"You grow bananas?" James asked, his eyes lighting up "Those are my favorite!"  
"Yeah, after the reunion you can-" Judy began  
"James!" a deep voice called "James over here!"


	16. The Berries, trust, and a Leotigon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 chapters left....

Judy looked to see a fulf just shorter than James waving. On his arm there was a pure black wolf in a lovely blue dress that matched her bright sapphire eyes.  
"Rogue! Leafarna!" James called out "Tell Gideon his delivery is here!" the two canines did as they were told and Judy held the white gate open.  
"Oh, um thanks" James said. he hadn't met any mammal, let alone a prey, who would just help him out like that. the front door to the house opened and there stood Gideon and Nick. Nick looked up at the feline next to his bride-to-be.

"Panda's been waitin for ya, Jim" Gideon said taking hold of one of the baskets. "She's out back. we'll get these."  
"Um.. okay, if you're sure Gid," James looked down at Judy "I guess i'll see ya later, jenna?"

"Yeah, you can come over and pick up some bananas whenever ya like."Judy said with a smile as Nick and Gideon pulled her wagon into the house. they all went into the kitchen and nick turned to Judy.  
"We have a problem," he said  
"What is it Nick?"Judy asked with concern  
"Chief Buffalo Butt and Our good Doctor are here for the reunion." Nick said mirroring Judy's worry  
"I know i just met her brother." Judy said "It was weird it felt like he knew me from someplace else at first."

"Did ya meet em in the big city?" Gideon asked  
"I think i'd remember meeting a leotigon." Judy said. Nick hadn't actually payed any attention to the pattern on the feline's fur.  
"Did you say Leotigon?" Nick asked

"Well i may have gotten it backwards, the proper term may be Tigonard" Judy stopped trying to figure it out when she saw the way nicks eyes began to stare at her. "Carrots, we've got to go,"  
"What?" she looked at him incredulously "Nick who exactly is this feline?"  
"There's a cat with both spots and stripes" Nick looked from Judy to Gideon and back "he was known as the rebel chemist. he used to tear relationships apart with a concoction of scopolimine and methemphetamines" Nick stopped "We have to get the chief and get out of here!"  
"Nick why" judy asked as Nick pulled her toward the back door  
"Could you stop arguing and just come on!" nick said still pulling her away  
"Someones coming!" Judy hissed.  
"Follow my lead" Gideon pulled out his wallet and Nick hid behind one of the baskets.  
"No way gid!" Judy said with a loud fake laugh "Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Stu wouldnt hear of it!"

"Come on jenna! that's bad for business." gideon said as Mira walked in with Chief Bogo  
"Gideon Grey, put your money away before i stuff it down your overalls" judy said  
"Jenna!" gideon said sternly

"You want to pay them, go do your own dirty work!" Judy said lifting one of the large baskets down "Besides there was more than enough from the harvest and we need to keep our best customer, who else bakes crepes like yours!"

"You are infuriating," gideon looked up "Oh hey Mira,"  
"Hey Gid, whats going on?" Mira asked staring at Judy, who felt the blush creep up her cheeks.

"Oh just dealing with a stubborn rabbit," gideon said putting the money in an envelope "You've got how many cousins at that house? not to mention all Bonnie and Stu's Grandkits?"  
"You just don't know when ta quit do ya Gid?" Judy laughed, brushing her ear off her face and picking up the basket that nick had been hiding behind. "i'm not sitting through that lecture again!"

"Okay! you win!" Gideon held up his paws in surender. "I'll take it over after the reunion" he set the envelope on the counter. "So who's your friend Mira?"  
"Oh!" She was snapped out of her thoughts "This is Kgosi Bogo, he's the chief of the ZPD."

"Well good ta meet ya" Gideon said "You and Mira must be pretty close for you to come to the reunion."  
"He wouldn't let me leave without him" Mira said with a smirk as she noticed Bogo was now staring at Judy

"Have you told james yet?" Gidion asked his voice filled with concern  
"Why do you ask me like that?" Mira and gideon argued for a moment  
"You look very familiar," Chief bogo said as he watched her struggle with the second bushel of berries before helping her get them out of the wagon. as soon as the bushel was on the ground Bogo noticed the faint scar upon her cheek "Hopps?" Judy turned at her name and looked up at the cape buffalo.

"I can explain sir," Nick said taking a step towards the large bovine  
"This should be good" Bogo said crossing his hooves, making the red flannel shirt streatch over his back accentuating his muscular build.  
"We have a lead," Judy said  
"Wilde! i told you not to work on the case!" bogo raised his voice.  
"I didn't the lead just..." Nick tried and failed of a good explaination "showed up helping get the blueberries here. and that lead is going to try and get you next if we can't make it out of here before he see's you. Let's go"  
Nick pulled Judy through the back door and weaved his way with her through the mammals. He had expected Bogo to simply follow him without question. But he hadnt looked back to make sure the bovine was.  
"Oh Jack dear! i want you to meet my godson!" Panda said taking hold of his paw. "James! over here!"  
"Aunt Panda, I would love to stay and chat but I really~~" Nick heard a howl from his side and knew just how sly a bunny can be. Leafarna, who was next to Rogue, began to howl along with Panda. Then Rogue and Josh joined, then James and John, soon everyone was howling.

Nick took his cue and he pulled Judy along with him through the gate and up into the trees between the properties.

the howling stopped and Mira looked around for the runaway patients, and then her eyes settled upon James.  
"James!" she called as she walked toward him,"I want you to meet my Friend, Kgosi."

"This is your friend?" James said in an agriveated tone  
"Yes, James" She said defensively "He's a fine Mammal!"

"This oversized Bison?" James yelled. "He could kill you just as easily as his kind killed Mom and Dad!"  
"James, He's a cape buffalo, Not a wildebeest!" Mira yelled back

"He's still a cow!" James said vehmently "And they are still dangerous!"  
"He is not!" Mira defended  
"You don't believe me?" James asked pulling a weapon from his coat "then let me show you what happens when you take the bull by the horns!"  
It all happened so fast:

James fired 2 shots  
Bogo shielded Mira  
Nick and Judy laid on the ground at Bogo's feet,

"Jenna?" James questioned lowering the weapon and dropping it to the ground “Jenna!” he ran forward but abruptly fell to the ground just short of the fox and rabbit couple.


	17. The Final Chapter, Feels & A Beloved OTP

To Lisa, the feels you released were quite inspiring

 

Judy and nick had barely made it out of the scenerio that was about to unfold, when her ears perked up and she looked at nick.  
"Nick," judy looked at him intently  
"No, Oh no no no! i know that look, whatever you're thinking" he looked sternly at her "Stop thinking it!"  
"We have to go back!" Judy said "We can't just leave, it'll be a massacre!"  
"It'll be an even bigger one if we go back!" Nick said frustratedly "Let's just go to your parents house and..."  
"Nick there isn't any time!" Judy said as she started running back to Gideons back yard.  
"Carrots!" Nick hissed as he followed her and they hid beneath a picnic table.  
"This oversized Bison?" James yelled at Mira. "He could kill you just as easily as his kind killed Mom and Dad!"  
"James, He's a cape buffalo, Not a wildebeest!" Mira yelled back  
"Nick," Judy could see the weapon under James' leatherette jacket. "Do you trust me?"  
"I really wish you wouldn't ask me that" Nick said as judy grabbed his paw.  
"He's still a cow!" James said vehmently "And they are still dangerous!"  
"He is not!" Mira defended. "You don't believe me?" James asked pulling a weapon from his coat "then let me show you what happens when you take the bull by the horns!" and he fired his weapon.  
Judy and Nick came out from under the table paw in paw and Judy ran forward and jumped, bouncing off the barbecue. they went through the air and got caught in the line of fire. Nick pulled her into him in an attempt to shield her from the bullets and he felt a small pain in his shoulder.  
"Jenna?" James said curiously. then he realized what happened "Jenna!" he dropped the weapon and ran forward. There was a loud shot and James collaped. 52 mammals turned to see from where the shot was fired. Gideon had been leaning out the window of the spare room with Judy's sidearm in paw. Gidion blew the steam off the weapon then was gone from the window. all eyes turned back to the now three immobile forms. the silence took over for a moment before Mira pushed out of Kgosi's embrace and made her way over to her brothers unconcious body.  
"I don't understand," Mira said. "James was never like this before."  
"Yes he was" Josh said "But you're his sister, he never let you see that part of him."  
Chief bogo watched Mira tend to her brother then looked down toward his officers. he knelt down next to them and gently picked up Judy. her green dress was spotted with red blood drops and there were a few tears in it from the brances of the trees. Nick's nose twithed and his eyes flew open. gideon came through the back door and noticed nicks eyes were filled with rage  
"Put her down." Gideon said as Nick growled at Kgosi.  
"What?" kgosi asked incredulously. Nick continued to growl at the great water buffalo.  
"Put her down Chief." Gideon repeted as nick's teeth showed and he looked like he would attack at any moment  
"Are you off your hillbilly rocker?" Kgosi shouted "he could kill her!"  
"Kgosi, Listen to him." mira said still tending to James. Kgosi slowly lowered judy to the ground and watched Nick curl himself around the rapidly devolving rabbit snarling at the buffalo. then Gideon stepped forward and stood between them.  
"Nick, i need to take her." gideon said "It's to keep her safe, okay."  
Nick snapped his jaws at gideon.  
"You come with us. okay? but i need to take her, so that the doctor can look at her and make sure she is alright."  
Nick glared at gideon for a moment then unwrapped himself from around judy. Gideon picked her up and walked in the house followed by nick on all fours. James' eyes were begining to open and he looked up to see them go inside.  
"Jenna! wait stop! where are you taking her!" he muttered in a dazed state.  
"I'll go with them," mira said as she walked passed Kgosi "You take care of him."  
Mira followed Gideon into the house and up the stairs to the spare room in which Nick had been staying. Gideon put Judy down on the bed and nick went around to the other side and jumped up on the mattress. Mira looked at Nick for a long moment before she fount the device on the back of his skull. his growls and his anger began to subside due to fatigue and exaustion. she reached a paw toward him and he irritably growled then pulled away.  
"if you want to help Judy, you need to let me help you." Mira said. Nick whimpered and laid his head on the bed. Mira took off the device and Nick turned back into his normal self.  
"Judy?" he lifted his head and looked around frantically, not realizing she was right next to him. he found her primal form laying there limp in a primitve pose. "JUDY!" he picked her up and held her close. his paw found the device in the small of her back and he carefully removed it. while she was returning to her original form she still wasnt waking up.  
"Gideon, got tell kgosi to bring james up here!" Mira said. gideon wasted no time as he ran out the door and down the steps.  
"Judy, come back to me..." nick said as gideon came in with James and Kgosi  
"Get your filthy hooves off me!" James said through the muzzel placed upon him and then he caught a glimps of Judy from the corner of his eye. "JENNA!" he struggled out of Kgosi's grip and stumbled toward the bed as nick pulled Judy away from the felonious feline.  
"stay away from her!" nick shouted as Kgosi pulled James back.  
"James where's the antidote?" Mira asked flatly.  
"what?" James asked being caught off gaurd.  
"the antidote, you brought one with you, you always came prepared." Mira said. James turned his face away and mira walked over and jerked him by the metal muzzel. "you ran to her, like dad ran to mom. now if you want to save her, we need that antidote!"  
"Inside pocket." james mumbled as he glared at mira. Mira pulled 2 vials out of the inside pocket of his leather jacket. inside them one contained red liquid the other contained blue.  
"which one is it!" Kgosi shouted  
"Like i'd tell a fat ugly heiffer like you" James said defiantly  
"Do you want her to live or not?" Gideon yelled  
"James Gregory White!" aunt Panda called up the steps "You tell them that they have to mix those two things together or i'll come up there my self and be Judge Jury and executioner! then i'll let the courts handle you! Just because you're twice my size doesnt mean i cant still give you a quick clip round the ears!!"  
"give me the vials," nick said "Hurry up she doesnt have long!"  
Mira obliged and nick took off the corks with his teeth and put the liquids in his mouth. then he kissed Judy releasing the antidote into her parted lips.  
"Carrots, come back to me," nick said after breaking the kiss. "I've figured it out, but i still need your help."  
Judy's ears twitched. then her nose twitched. her eyes fluttered open.  
"Why do we always end up doing things the hard way?" she asked as nick held her closer and tighter.  
"Jenna" James whispered through the muzzle. Judy turned at her false identity to see that James was cuffed and muzzled. "why whould you.... how did you.... what posessed you....?"  
"Are you always this articulate, Thundercat?" judy asked with a sweet and innocent smile.  
"I have never known any mammal willing to sacrifice themselves for another." James mumbled looking at her with wide eyes.  
"Hi, pleased to meet you, i'm a mammal who willingly sacrifices herself for those she cares about." Judy said, with a little wave.  
"even for a baffooning buffalo like him?" James asked  
"I'd have done the same for you," Judy replied "Even after this."  
"Alright, enough small talk!" Kgosi said gently pulling James away from Judy "we all know he has the right to remain silent."  
"Jenna," james said not being pulled so easily "I just want you to know I never meant for you to get hurt"  
"I know," Judy replied "Send me a letter, so i can send you some of those banana's from uncle stu's farm."  
"mkay" james said as he was escourted out by chief Bogo.  
the room went quiet for a moment as everyone tried to comprehend the conversation that just took place.  
"you know you could just look up which cell he's in at the station, right?" Nick asked  
"Yep, i know that." judy replied  
"During that entire conversation, he didn't call you Judy. Not once." Nick said putting the peices together  
"you notice that, when throughout a good half of our conversations, you seem to forget that i even have a name" Judy quipped  
"ya'know, i think you'd make a pretty good con-artist" Nick said with a smirk as Mira came and looked judy over.  
"haha, how dare you..." Judy chuckled as Nick once did so long ago.  
"Sly bunny" nick said with a smile.  
"She seems normal," Mira said as she stepped away "comeon, gideon, let's make sure Rogue and Leafarna aren't roughing up James too bad for ruining the reunion."  
Mira and gideon left the room and Nick and Judy were now alone.  
"what were you thinking?" nick asked after a moment "running into a situation like that you could have been killed! what would i have done without you!"  
"But i didn't. Nick i'm alright." Judy said trying to comfort him  
"You know i'm only upset because i love you." Nick said  
"I know Nick." judy replied clasping her paw in his.  
"good, can we get married now?" Nick said "I want to be the happiest fox alive before you become the death of me, rabbit"  
"Sure" Judy said with a giggle, "only after you admit that you are a dumb fox."  
"Oh with pleasure, My Bunny, i'll be the dumbest fox in the world, but i'll only be that for you." Nick nuzzled her neck  
"I love you Dumb Fox"  
"I love you Sly Bunny"

~Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know if you liked the ending or if you wish to beg for more [i won't make you grovel, but if there is something that needs addressed let me know.]


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